Intertwined
by BokchoiBaboy
Summary: They were all intertwined in one way or another. A drabble collection. SasuSaku NejiTen NaruHina ShikaIno Latest Chapter: Teaser: Loving an Idiot: 411! I'm in love with an idiot. But I assure you, with these steps, he'll be mine in no time!
1. Exception

**Intertwined  
**_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto  
**A/N:** Hey guys! I'M NOT DEAD! I'm sorry I haven't been updating **A Thousand Miles**. I've been experiencing writer's block. Hopefully, these drabbles will be able to get me moving. xD;

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**Exception**

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His eyes wandered towards the village that was increasingly growing in size as he grew closer and closer. A light blanket of snow fell over the Earth, and his eyes continued looking at the village. 

_I wonder how much has changed._

His mind wandered to the memories that he had left behind eight years ago. He wondered how much had changed between all the people he knew, and perhaps, secretly cared about while he was still there. He knew of Naruto and Sakura, and of their increasing popularity in enemy territory.

_So Sakura finally blossomed after all._

He slowly walked into the large gates, his eyes wandering. The stars were above him, the villagers long asleep. He turned and wandered past the place where he had last left the cherry blossom, and continued walking towards his deserted manor. He would tell the new Hokage of his appearance later; he needed rest.

_Did she move on?_

He shook his head disapprovingly. It would be better if she had moved on to someone else; he knew that even though he had secretly cared for her through the years, it would be foolish of him to think of her to keep her promise.

_I'll wait for you forever. I love you more than anything..._

He sighed and ran his long fingers through his raven hair. He wondered if he would be able to _love, show emotion; _he had, after all, accomplished his goals. The only one remaining was to revive the Uchiha clan.

"_...Sasuke?"_

He completely stopped, his body tensing from the voice he had long forgotten. He sensed her slow and hesitant footsteps coming towards him, her heart seeming to beat faster and against her ribs. When he knew she was right behind him, he turned around, looking at her curiously. Her eyes were the same, tears beginning to form.

"_Are you back for good this time?"_

He hesitated for a moment, thinking of the most fitting answer. He couldn't guarantee his presence in the village; after all, many of the Sound ninja, and perhaps the Akatsuki, were after him. She seemed to sense this and nodded, a tiny smile present on her lips.

"_I told you." _

He again looked at her curiously, and was taken aback when her smile had fully blossomed, tears of joy slowly running down her pale cheeks.

"Forever is a long time," he harshly said.

She managed to let off a strained laugh, and shook her head, her smile still fully present on her rosy lips.

"_But I waited."_

He wasn't one to believe in foolish promises.

But he'd make an exception this one time.

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**A/N: **Hey everyone! BokchoiBaboy here! Here's a little drabble collection I'm starting, just to try and work my mind off writer's block. I'm sorry I haven't been updating **A Thousand Miles**! D: Forgive me, I'm trying my hardest D:

Well, I hope you enjoy these, even if they're short and simple. Thanks for reading!


	2. Freefall

**Intertwined  
**_Written by BokchoiBaboy  
_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto

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**Freefall**

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_She was falling._

_Falling._

Tenten's eyes widened with surprise as she began falling down towards the Earth, gravity forcing her to plummet towards the Earth. She felt the surprised eyes of her teammates and sensei watching her, all retreating from their enemies to catch their weapons' mistress. She managed to catch the victorious smirk of her enemy, her heart breaking from her failure.

"_Tenten! Tenten!" _

She heard their cries of agony and worry, hearing them grow louder and louder as they stood beneath her. She began to twist her body, trying to catch the drifts of the air and wind. Finally, she managed to hit one, and was able to twirl herself around so she would be able to break her fall.

_Ugh._

A kunai had impaled itself in her arm, most likely from her enemies. She saw her blood follow her trail, dripping, falling, following.

"_Tenten!"_

She closed her eyes and waited for the fatal blow of her body hitting the Earth, but it never came. Surprised, she opened her eyes, and was met with the worried eyes of her teammates. Lee and Gai nodded approvingly at her and dispersed, both wanting to finish the mission as soon as possible. Her eyes followed the arms of her captor, and were met with pearl orbs, a hint of relief present in their shine.

"Neji?"

She was met with a tiny smile, and was gently put down.

_She was falling._

_But he was there to catch her._

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**A/N: **Thanks for reading! As you know, this is only to try and get my imagination moving off my writer's block. I'm not expecting reviews, but I'd really appreciate them and love them :D 

Thanks **AKITO.At The Disco!**_  
_


	3. Depart

**Intertwined**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto  
**A/N: **Hey, haven't written one of these in a while. XD Anyway, hope you like this one.

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**Depart

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**Tenten stood in the howling snowstorm, her eyes dulled with pain and sorrow. Dry blood stained her cheeks as she stared at the buried bodies before her, wishing that the vision of the tainted snow would leave her. She stared at the bloodstains present on her cold steel, dripping ever so slowly onto the snow. 

_Winter...reminds me of you._

She closed her eyes and turned away from the bleeding snow, quickly putting on her worn ANBU mask. She swiftly jumped off the cold, winter floor, her body moving swiftly back towards her home. In her swift motion, her eyes caught the sight of the blooming winter flowers. They gave the enchanted wonderland a feeling of warmth and home, while the tainted snow around them showed the pains of the world.

_...You loved the flower until the end. I can't bear looking at them anymore._

Her dull eyes began to shine with unshed tears behind her mask, but they soon disappeared, her heart, her body, her mind, clouding over with bitterness and sorrow. The snow falling around her seemed to represent her tears, her pain; she was incredibly alone, and unlike the snow, there was no ground for her to latch unto and become part of.

_You both left me so alone._

Colors of green and white flashed before her eyes as she continued to move swiftly, only bringing more bitterness into her heart. She let off a soft sigh and tried to push the bitter feelings away, but to no avail; every thing she saw reminded her of the people that she had lost.

_You both believed in me..._

Her eyes caught sight of the towering village gates, her mind continuing to wander. The tides of war had changed everything, and everyone in it. Ninja became heartless and cold; villagers became scared and fearful of sleeping at night. The once lively village of Konoha was falling into a world of fear and despair, having lost too many star ninja. Instead the walls were constantly stained with blood, the air often heavy with sorrow.

_There is no cure..._

She entered her home, her heart seeming to leave deadweight in her body. Her breaths became heavy and quick, her heart beating faster and faster, as if fearing the end. Instead of reporting to the Hokage, she swiftly began her way to the Memorial Stone.

Her delicate, tender fingers traced the engraved names of the stone, her mask falling off her face as tears began to pass through her heartless façade. The names engraved there seemed to mock her, tease her. They knew that she didn't like to be left out of anything, especially a long journey; and there they were, in all their glory, carved into the stone forever. She could only cry and live for them, living their dreams, only wishing it would be her time to catch up soon.

_Hyuuga Neji..._

Her tears began to flow harder, her heart aching with pain and sorrow. He was the first to leave them. He had protected her from a devastating blow, and he had lost too much blood to heal when Tsunade had arrived to aid him. It was then that she began to well in sorrow and despair; her strength grew incredibly, her personality soon taking after the Hyuuga's himself – cold and arrogant. She was angry with him, and would be until she could see him again. She loved him, and he had just left her with a soft smile and a gentle apology.

_Rock Lee..._

Shortly after the love of her life had departed, her best friend had gone as well. He had died in the midst of war when he was greatly outnumbered. He had almost won the battle, and just as his hope had arisen from the depths, it had gone when he was hit by an unfamiliar jutsu. He had fell with a soft smile on his face, the broken petals of a cherry blossom swirling around him. She, too, was angry with him. She would have been able to aid him if he had not shoved her away; she would have been able to save him.

And now she was horribly alone in the world, her heart already shattered into a million fragments.

The love of her life and her best friend were watching over her from the stars, she knew.

And she knew that someday, she, too, would depart with a soft smile on her lips.

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**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed it :)

Thanks for all your reviews :)


	4. Words

**Intertwined**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto

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**Words**

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_Words are just words..._

Dull, emerald orbs stared at the reflection in the mirror. The body before them seemed to come off as a corpse – dead. Tears flowed from the dead orbs as empty words and promises ricocheted inside her mind, empty lips moving to the sound of silent winds howling.

_...When they hold no meaning..._

The salty liquids continued to flow from her eyes, the shine of the water contrasting against the dull, precious orbs. Her right hand tightly clenched the fabric around her heart, the fading beating against her chest seeming to disappear as the seconds passed.

_Words are just words..._

She closed her eyes, hiding their ugliness from the world. She had a chance to prove everyone wrong, and prove everyone wrong she did. But she was empty, _gone, _like a doll lost without her puppeteer.

Her tears jetted down her eyes, splattering across the damp, wooden floor beneath her. The image of empty lips speaking empty words clouded her mind, the quick flash of onyx in the dark looking emptier than ever. She refused to sob, but she knew her heart was screaming.

She refused to accept that her heart was completely torn.

Too torn from depression, bitterness, sorrow...

Too broken beyond repair.

_Words are just words..._

_...When you don't look into my eyes and say them._

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**A/N: **So, this was...angsty/dark/depressing...Don't know how I got into the mood for this. XD 

Anyway, the "words are just words" stuff was sparked in a conversation between myself and one of my friends. (:

Random, but I hope you liked it.


	5. Hidden

**Intertwined**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto  
**A/N: **Thanks for reviews!

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**Hidden**

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_I always sensed something hidden behind that wall of ice..._

_...But I was never sure it was worth it._

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I gently stared at the shining onyx eyes of the boy in front of me; not at all caring he was an _Uchiha _who was _crying. _I didn't understand much of the world going on around me, but I _knew _that Uchihas and _crying _definitely _did not _go together. I was amazed at how his dark orbs shone against his unfamiliar tears, seeming to shine even brighter than polished obsidian. 

"Are you okay?"

I don't know why I bothered wasting my breath or my sympathy on such a moment, but alas, I did. I was raised to be kind, no matter _who _in the _world _I was helping. I noticed his onyx orbs widen for a slight moment, but narrow down again, and the boy turned away from me, almost looking embarrassed that I had caught him in such a moment.

"Go away."

My eyes widened with hurt, but I backed away nonetheless. The boy once again turned towards me, this time with his eyes flashing with undeserved hate. I continued backing away, but in the quick flash of moments, I felt I sensed something behind his eyes.

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_I always felt there was so much more..._

_...Than that thick wall of ice._

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My eyes widened with joy when they caught sight of the love of my life, Uchiha Sasuke, walking towards me. Over the years, the harsh encounter of the night when we were seven was pushed to the dark depths of my mind, and instead, it was full of infatuation and obsession. He walked towards me, my heart setting aflutter by his _handsome _looks and physique. He stoically stood next to me, he too waiting for Kakashi-sensei and Naruto to appear for training. 

"Sasuke-kun..."

I wasn't able to finish because I was, once again, _rudely _shoved away.

"_You're annoying."_

My eyes widened with hurt and shock, tears beginning to form from my eyes. I was surprised to see what I saw behind his onyx eyes once more; the same thing I had sensed that day when I had first met him. The tears faded, and miraculously, I let off a soft smile. He seemed confused by this, but turned away from me nonetheless.

I believe that it was _that _day when I _truly _fell in love with the man.**  
**

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_That day when I fell in love with you all over again..._

_...I was so happy to see such a different shine in your eyes._**  
**

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For what seemed like eternity, the salty liquids finally fell from my emerald orbs. He was standing there, walking away from his home; his back turned away from me. I felt my heart breaking into a million fragments. He was _leaving? _He was _really leaving?_

I tried to get him to stay; I _confessed my real love for him. _But all this time, he was never able to look into my eyes. Instead, he appeared behind me, muttered a strong "thank you", and knocked me out. I was never able to see his eyes, but somehow, I still sensed something hidden. The sense – this _feeling _made it so much better. I don't know why on _Earth _I was lulled away from depression just by _sensing _something that I wasn't able to see before he had just left.

But it was there, and perhaps that was enough to save my dying heart.**  
**

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_That day when you left, I wasn't so sure about your eyes..._

_...But as you said your last goodbyes, it was so easy to sense._**  
**

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I stared deeply at the dull onyx orbs in front of me, my emerald eyes not at all comprehending that _he, Uchiha Sasuke, _was standing there before me, after five years of hardships and betrayal, _covered in blood, _wearing that blasted smirk of his on his bloody, swollen lips. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to think; would he just _shove _me away again? _Rudely _tell me to _go away?_

But as he took a step forward, I forced myself to not step back. A soft smile began to form on my lips as I stared at his onyx eyes filling with life, and finally I understood that eerie feeling that I had sensed all through the years.

There was something hidden there, behind the pain, the sorrow, the anger, the _hate._

It was behind a thick wall of ice that was slowly melting, still hidden by years of darkness.

But I knew that if I gave it time...

His eyes would _fully _shine.**  
**

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_There was so much more to you than people saw._

_You were a cold, arrogant bastard that left everything behind for your own desires._

_But I, too, am I selfish monster._

_I was the only one who truly saw your eyes shine.**  
**_

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**A/N: **Hmm, random, I know. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this one. 

Also, to clear up some confusion about the last drabble.

Nobody died the last drabble.  
The person who was thinking the "words are just words", looking into the mirror, the main person in the whole drabble, is Sakura.  
She was thinking about Sasuke, thus the "quick flash of onyx"  
"Words are just words until you look into my eyes and say them" is referring to how Sasuke did _not _look into Sakura's eyes while he had said "thank you"  
Thus, she could not bring herself to believe that Sasuke had truly meant what he had said, which also means that in the slightest chance, Sakura may _not _have loved Sasuke more than anything, because she too did not look him in the eyes and say it. (Though it's obvious she truly meant it)

Hope that helped.


	6. Precious

**Intertwined**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto  
**A/N: **Thanks for reviews O:

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**Precious****  
**

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_Everyone precious to me..._

_...Is dead._

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Obsidian orbs stared at the golden sunset as the bright shine of the Memorial Stone in front of them glittered. Long, calloused hands gently traced the characters of the two names of his best friends, his heart panging with guilt. Tears had long since been vanished from his eyes; he was a ninja, and he was forbidden to cry. 

_Everyone precious to me..._

His fingers seemed to linger there, trying to reach out to their essences, trying to be _forgiven._

_Am I forgiven?_

It hurt not knowing if he truly was forgiven.

He betrayed his best friend...

...And he let his other go without a word.

He was a horrible man, wasn't he?

The aging ninja slowly got up from his place and began to walk away, the steps he took away from his friends' final resting place seeming to grow heavier as the distance between them grew.

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He stared from afar as his team, his _children, _his _family, _sparred beneath him in the groves of the deep forests. It had been eight years that Sasuke had left the village, but after what seemed like an eternity (because eight years was such a long time), he returned. The man himself was the one that found him, lingering on the verge of life and death, his wounds primitively bandaged, blood still seeping through the dirty fabric. 

When he had brought Sasuke to the hospital, his team was summoned. Sakura stared at the boy indifferently, trying to hide her inward struggle. Naruto stared in shock, his eyes not accepting the fact that his _rival, _his _friend, _was back and connected through multiple tubes for life support.

"Sakura, can't you do anything?" The blond whispered in desperation.

The girl stared at the blond next to her, a pained expression present on her face. The man, their sensei, all the while watched them, remaining silent, knowing there were no words to be said. Sakura must fight her struggle on her own, and Naruto must learn that such things happen.

"I won't do anything until he wakes up. If he does."

Their sensei let off a soft smile behind his mask, unseen, but certainly there. His little Sakura had finally grown up.

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He watched happily as he watched all three of his children blossom into the new Sannin, all feared in enemy territory. He watched as they happily found their love in their lives, married, bore children, and lived their dreams. He watched, as Naruto became Rokudaime, Sasuke his most trusted advisor and all-time ANBU captain, and Sakura his secondary advisor and the medical nin who had surpassed Tsunade. 

He let off soft smiles that were still unseen when his "grandchildren" ran up to him with joy, asking him to train them and spar with them. Their lavender, cerulean, emerald, and onyx orbs all stared at him with joy as they called him an old man, a pervert, but most of all, _their grandfather._

His life was long-lived, and he was cherished and loved dearly.

There was once a time in his life when he was lost in a silent insanity, the despair of having everyone precious to him dead. He was dreaded when he was in the peak of his ANBU career, his hands forever stained with blood.

But then, he had met his three children, and they had walked an even longer and more dreadful path than he. They all suffered betrayal, heartbreak, and dream-shattering statements, _together._

Once, he would say that everyone precious to him was dead.

Now, he would say that everyone precious to him was right before his eyes.

Because, indeed, they always were.**  
**

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**A/N: **This was originally going to be a longer one-shot, but I couldn't elaborate it more, or create a more...heart-drenching storyline, so, here it is! XD Let's see, it was also supposed to be inspired by a "Golden Sunset" theme, but...I think that'll come later. Haha. 

In the part where he is referring to his grandchildren...  
Pairings are NaruxHina and SasuxSaku.  
Thus all the colors of eyes. Haahha.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one.

I love Kakashi :)


	7. Intoxicating

**Intertwined**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto  
**A/N: **Tenten's POV.

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**Intoxicating

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**"_Your laughter is poison. Please stop."_

"_I can't stop laughing forever."_

"_Why not? It's intoxicating, almost suffocating me. It makes me _want _to laugh with you."_

"_That's a bad thing?"_

"_I don't laugh."_

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I softly stared out of the café window as I saw Hyuuga Neji pass by, hand-in-hand with Haruno Sakura. He didn't notice me like he usually would; he just continued on, a tiny smile present on his lips. When I zoned off all the other sounds, I could swear I could hear his laughter. It made me sad, to be honest. I could lie to everyone else, but like me, they saw through my façade. 

I was in pain.

I was depressed.

I was in love with Neji, honestly. My mind was always on him, worrying about his safety and concern on missions, and whatnot.

But it really hurt, knowing that Sakura was there for him, to look after him, to _save _him. I saved him countless times with my weapons, but what could I do if he was severely injured? My weapons couldn't heal; their only purpose was to _kill. _My weapons didn't stop blood, they craved blood.

And me...I suppose I'm no different. My weapons wouldn't get their blood if I didn't throw them. My weapons wouldn't hurt anybody if I didn't use them.

I watched him as he sat beneath a cherry blossom tree with Sakura, his strong arms cradling her perfect form. They both had a look of contentment and completion; their smiles and eyes shone with the joys of love and _being _loved.

There was once a time when I thought that Neji loved me back. It was when I was laughing at Lee and Gai-sensei's usual antics. He had told me that my laughter was intoxicating, seeming to make him want to laugh with me. But never once did he succumb to his self-control and laugh with _me; _he just blankly stared at me like I was an idiot.

And then there was that mission that I was sent to. I was sent away for a year at most to end the problem of dangerous ninja threatening the daimyo of Tea Country. Neji and I had no farewell promises of the sort; he had just told me "_good luck". _It broke my heart, really, knowing that he couldn't say, "_be careful", _or _"I'm waiting for you". _I'm foolish to believe that he would actually _say _those things, but something in me before really believed that he would, and to me _only. _I was so broken and hurt that he couldn't have said anything more that I just let off a simple nod.

I wanted to say with all my heart that I loved him, and that I'd hope he'd be waiting for me, and that I'd hope I'd make him proud. But I couldn't. I was scared that I'd face rejection; I was _so _terrified of being told in that heartless, stoic tone of his that...

"_You are only a teammate to me, but I do wish you'll make our village proud."_

In that _same, harsh _tone that he always used with me.

And when I had returned, it seemed that everything around me shattered. I learned that Neji had hit it off well with Sakura, and they were..._dating. _Hinata had told me this with her deepest apologies and sympathy, knowing that what I felt for Neji was _too deep to ever fall out of._

It hurt, really. To know that I had fallen for a complete, oblivious jerk that only used me as a tool to get stronger and make his clan proud...it made me feel pathetic.

My eyes continued to watch them as they leaned closer and closer, and finally stopped leaning when their lips touched. I could see, almost _feel _the passion that they both emitted from their kiss, and I turned away, the pain too unbearable. Tears began to form at my eyes, but I shook them away.

I was a kunoichi.

I don't cry.

But I had to admit; being a cold and arrogant monster I was really hurt me, and even more so Hinata.

I was pathetic, really. It seemed that I just lived in a large black hole, with nothing to worry about and nothing to fear.

Neji was my life.

I lived for him. I lived what he wanted to live.

I lived _freedom._

But I really am selfish. I should be happy for Neji, happy that he found his key to his cage, happy that he could laugh and smile and _love, _even if it _wasn't me. _

But I am anything but happy. Right now, I'd be foolish enough to throw my life away. I'd let my guard down on missions and in battles, just so it meant that I could depart.

I'm just trying to find an ending with less pain, really.

I keep smiling, laughing, and living even though my heart is hurting.

I'm searching for my happy ending, but I know that I'll never get one.

I'm so foolish and pathetic. I can't even find a new meaning in life. Before, it was so easy. I'd wake up early in the morning, before sunrise even, just to spar with Neji. I knew that I was helping him in one way or another, and that made me happier than anything. Before, I tried my hardest because I always knew that he was watching _me _and _nobody else. _

But now, I'm just an empty shell lying on the dirt, getting kicked around and being invisible.

**He is not mine.**

**He is not mine.**

I can keep saying that in my head and pretend that I'm over it, but I'll be fooling myself all over again.

Letting off a deep sigh, I placed tip money on the café table and got up. I was surprised to see Neji and Sakura at the doorway of the café as I walked out, and I stared dumbly. I plastered on a fake smile that took a few weeks to master, and nodded politely. They, in turn, nodded back.

"Tenten."

"How have you been, Neji?"

My heart was breaking. His tone of voice was stoic and emotionless. But with Sakura...it was loving and warm. Did I only deserve cold? Was I that undeserving?

"I have been well."

I nodded and continued on my way. I heard Sakura crack a joke, and Neji's laughter. I painfully turned around and saw them walk to my table and sit there, hand-in-hand, their eyes intensely gazing in the other.

"Neji, I wish you'd stop laughing. It's intoxicating."

The busy rush of the café blew my whispers away, and I turned around and walked away. I seemed to grow heavier as the distance between the two of us passed.

I knew it was only a matter of time before I reached my final distance.

And it hurt to know that he wouldn't be standing there with me.

**I am madly in love with Hyuuga Neji.**

**And I can't have him.**

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**A/N: **So, I'm feeling dismal at the moment, really. Haha.  
This might be two-parts. Just let me know in your reviews. (: 

Hope you liked it.


	8. Out of Reach

**Intertwined**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto  
**A/N: **I know you all hate NejiSaku. To be honest, I DO TOO! XD I just wasn't sure who else to use with Neji, and NejiSaku instantly came to mind.

But yes, this is still angsty. Don't get me wrong. XD

Sequel to **Intoxicating**

Neji's POV.

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**Out of Reach**

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"_Don't come any closer to me. I can get up, damn it."_

"_I hit all your vital chakra points. I need to make sure..."_

"_I told you; __**don't come any closer to me!**__ I can get up, damn it. This spar isn't over."_

"_There won't be every time where you can get up like that."_

"_Then you don't know me well, do you? You haven't paid attention to anything all the years, have you? __**I CAN GET UP. **__I don't give up. And I __**never **__will."_

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I stared in surprise when I saw Tenten walking down the street with Uchiha Sasuke, the two speaking nonchalantly of ninja business. I don't know why it surprised me so much to see her with another guy; I guess I was just so used to her _being _there for me. I lost count of the days when I didn't see her. It was making me worried; even being with Sakura couldn't bolt down that weird feeling at the pit of my stomach. A weird feeling overcame me when I saw the two ninja laughing. What the hell is wrong me? 

I'm in love with Sakura.

Right?

"Neji?"

I turned and faced my girlfriend, well, fiancée, Haruno Sakura. I let off a tiny smile, and she took my large hand into her delicate ones. The weird feeling I had felt when I had seen Tenten faded when I felt our fingers intertwine.

"Hey, it's Sasuke," Sakura pointed out.

I nodded indifferently. I didn't want her to know that I was looking at Tenten; Sakura could get quite monstrous when she was angry. And frankly, I wasn't in the mood to deal with a hard sore on my cheek and broken bones in my body.

"I need to go spar with Tenten now."

I noticed her raise an eyebrow with curiosity, but she let go of me nonetheless, and nodded.

"Yes. I need to go to Tsunade-shishou with Naruto and Sasuke, anyway. I think we have a new mission."

My heart fell. I felt so insecure when she wasn't around me.

I would have never felt this way before if Tenten hadn't left on that mission that took her a year to complete. Before, I would feel safe around Tenten, knowing that we both had each other's backs. Tenten was the only one that knew my one blind spot, how to defeat me, and how to read my one-worded answers like a children's book. I felt stupid, really. When she left, I knew she was expecting me to make a promise or a loving statement, to tell her that I was waiting and that I always would be. But, I _couldn't_. Those words weren't in my vocal vocabulary. Even though I knew that I felt that she was more than a teammate to me, I still couldn't bring myself to admit it. I felt pathetic for being scared of commitment, or scared that all I felt was stronger than friends, but not yet there to love her.

I wasn't _ready _for some intimacy.

But when she was out of Konoha, I instantly regretted not saying what I wanted to say.

After that, I was colder and more arrogant. Everyday, I'd watch the sunset and hope to see her there. Consequently, on one of those days, I ran into Sakura. Miraculously, she was _not _a fangirl of mine, and we had a rather decent conversation of "impatience". She had told me she was sick and tired of waiting for Sasuke, and I had told her that I wasn't sure what I felt about waiting for Tenten to return.

Soon, it was every day that she came to see me while I watched the sunset. Soon, it was every day that I could talk to her about anything, _everything. _She would hear me out.

Then, I don't know what the hell happened to me, but Tenten was pushed away. And, I _think _I fell in love with Sakura. So, we went out, and we're engaged now.

But I feel like we're both hiding in a weird, hidden shell. We're using each other for the protection for fear of rejection.

I can't help to feel like we're both hurting the people we want to protect.

* * *

"Well, you're late," Tenten whispered in a huff. 

I stared at her, and I felt that same, weird feeling I had before when I had seen her earlier in the day with Sasuke.

"Why were you with Uchiha?"

I didn't intend to say that, nor did I intend to make it sound like I was scolding her. In return, she gave me a deep scowl and got up from her place on the forest floor, her giant scroll at the ready.

"Why would you care? Let's just spar and get it over with. I have a date."

I don't know why I suddenly got angry with her when she used that tone with me. I always used that with her, so it'd only be fair, right?

But it just seemed like things didn't fit the way things were.

* * *

Normal POV

* * *

"Sasuke, will you be able to make it for dinner? Naruto's treat," Sakura said. 

Sasuke looked at his female teammate with an intensity that she had never felt before, and shrugged indifferently.

"If it's ramen, then I have a date."

"A date?"

"_Yes, Sakura, a date," _he said exasperatedly.

Sakura stared at him for a few moments, and let off a soft smile. She was in love with Neji. She wasn't supposed to feel this way.

"Oh, alright. I'll be sure to tell Naruto, then. We'll...miss you."

Sasuke shrugged and began walking away from her, beginning to grow irritated with her. She was Neji's fiancée.

"Sakura, you're Neji's fiancée. Why would it matter if I weren't there? We're friends, yeah. Don't make it sound like you want more. Besides, you're hurting more people than yourself right now," he said.

After saying such a mouthful, Sasuke inhaled deeply. Saying so much wasn't his thing. He supposed hanging around Tenten did that to him.

"I...what?"

Sasuke shook his head and continued walking away. Every step he took seemed to bring him regret, but he knew better than to let even _more _emotions get the better of him.

A part of him wished that she would follow him, hug him, and tell him to stop.

But that Sakura was long gone.

* * *

Neji's POV

* * *

I stared as Tenten lay facedown on the forest floor, her hands tightly clenched in fists. The leaves around her swirled as she breathed, dirt and other Earthly minerals flying as her warm breath moved them. I began to take a step forward, but I stopped when I heard her malicious tone. 

"I told you _before, damn it, not to help me up._"

I stared at her softly, but didn't move forwards any farther.

"Why are you doing this?"

I didn't mean for it to sound like a whisper. I didn't mean for it to sound like I wanted more from her. She was my friend, my teammate; of course I would be concerned for her welfare and safety.

"No," she murmured as she got up, dirt sticking to her face from her wet sweat, "Why are _you _doing this?"

I stared at her for a few moments, but no words seemed to form. I didn't know what to say; I didn't know what I _should _say!

I am in love with **Haruno Sakura.**

**I am not in love with Tenten.**

_Right?_

"Right, of course you don't know. 'What the hell am I doing?' you ask yourself every day, Neji. You ask yourself about _all _your damn mistakes."

"Who wouldn't wonder about their mistakes?" I shot back.

She seemed taken aback by my harsh tone, but continued to glare at me nonetheless. I wasn't used to seeing this side of her. Before, she would always be so kind, gentle, and caring. Before, she'd be sure I didn't get too full of myself. She wouldn't use profanity unless she was caught in the bad moment.

_She wouldn't reject me._

"I got over my mistakes a _long _time ago, Neji."

"You can never get over your mistakes, Tenten. You can't run," I said.

At this, I was surprised when she shook her head and let off that innocent smile of hers.

Everything about her was intoxicating. It was so wrong of me, to think like that when I was _engaged. _It wasn't _right. _But it felt like _nothing _was right when Tenten wasn't around.

It felt like Tenten was...

I was brought out of my thoughts when she spoke once more, this time in a more gentle and hurt tone.

"I got over you, didn't I?"

She smiled and began walking away, her body toppling over from her extreme fatigue. I wanted so much to go after her, catch her, and tell her everything was going to be okay.

I felt that my world was toppling down around me. Everything was crashing and burning, and I stood in the middle, alone.

Sakura wasn't there for me like I thought she would be.

Instead, I was alone, watching as Tenten walked farther and farther away from me.

_She was out of reach._

I was too selfish to not realize what I had in front of me.

I was too selfish to not wait forever.

I'm a monster. I'm _engaged! _Why the hell should I care that Tenten got over me?!

I have Sakura, damn it; _I have Sakura!_

But it felt like it wasn't enough.

It felt like Sakura, too, wasn't completely in love with me like we both thought she was.

_I made the biggest mistake of my life... _

And now I lost the only person that could ever make me feel complete.

**The only person that I loved is completely out of my reach.**

**And it is my fault.**

* * *

**A/N: **Well, I think that's better. Something this lengthy shouldn't be part of my drabbles, but whatever, haha. I'm not sure I should make this two-parter a separate story, but if you'd like me to, just drop in a review. 

I hope you liked this. I think I put in enough of Neji's suffering at the end. ...I think.

Let's see. Tenten sorta got the guy, sorta. But she moved on, in a way. Ahaha.

I PROMISE I'LL WRITE A FLUFFYFLUFFY NEJITEN FIC/ONESHOT.

Just because this two-parter totally depressed me, haha.

Though, it might take a while. I'm still trying to find a good storyline. If you want to throw in some ideas that you want to see or whatever, feel free to review. I don't check my email often. XD


	9. Half of Me

**Intertwined**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto  
**A/N: **Sakura's POV.  
This is a lengthy one (:

* * *

**Half of Me

* * *

**I woke up in complete darkness; the world around me swirling with sounds and scents that I never knew existed. I knew that my eyes were open but couldn't see; I knew that the world was only a stereo of sounds now. I had the strongest urge to scream out and cry and ask the gods above why I _had _to lose my eyesight, but miraculously, I didn't. I could hear all my friends, especially Ino and Naruto, around me, and I could hear everyone else's whispers and recognize their strong, distinctive scents. 

I felt like I was a dog, an animal; I could smell and listen better than before. Right now, at this very moment, it felt like I didn't _need _my eyesight; the sounds and scents of the world around me were enough for me to tell what from what, and who from whom. But I threw that thought down the gutter, because I was a _ninja, _a _medical ninja, _and I needed my eyesight. I needed to know the precise angle of the enemy ninja of the sky, calculate their velocity as they dropped to me, and successfully parry or dodge them. I needed my eyes to get the precise location of where the inner wound was in a ninja, and determine then how much chakra I was allowed to emit into the body.

My eyes were everything in my career and in _my life. _

And they were gone.**  
**

* * *

"I...I'm sorry, Sakura. I couldn't get there in time." 

I turned my head and found that Naruto had entered the room almost silently. It had been a week since I had woken up from the hospital and found that I was blind. I smiled at him and shook my head.

"It's my fault I wasn't strong enough."

"Don't start sounding like Teme, eh?"

I let off a sonorous laugh that I knew filled the air, and I could sense Naruto's foxy smile. I reached out and touched his face, tracing every centimeter of his skin, the image of him appearing in my mind as I wished to stare into his lively pools of cerulean. To an outsider looking in, it might look like a gesture of intimacy, but in reality (as both Naruto and I knew), it was an act of friendship, a sibling bond that could never be broken.

My head turned towards where I calculated the door would be as I heard Sasuke's distinctive, heavy footsteps. Naruto, too, seemed to sense him coming, and I could sense his body tense.

Sasuke had returned a full year ago, and he was placed under my care as he was hospitalized for a month. He had come back on the fragile balance between life and death. Our relationship was rocky at first. I was cold and distant to him, just like he to me. But over the course of the year, we became closer and closer, and I fell for him all over again.

He loved me, yet he never had the need, or courage, to say so. But I knew that his small gestures of love were all that he could manage, and that was fine for me. I felt that love didn't need to be stated; it was a feeling that was unique to all couples. For our love, having each other's backs and watching the other was completion. There were the rare times when I would whisper that I loved him, but even I, the once hopeless romantic, had never found the constant need to remind him.

Sometimes, our relationship would seem like complete lust. We would kiss, make-out, do all the lovely acts the couples do, but we rarely said we loved each other. But we knew that those petty impressions couldn't affect what we did or how we did it; our kisses held the passion of the words that were never said between us, and only _we _could feel it and understand it.

"Sakura."

I smiled when I felt his calloused hand trace the deep gash along my eyes. I held his free hand in my fragile ones, wishing deeply that I could stare into his entrancing onyx orbs and tell him everything was okay.

"Sasuke..."

I felt my eyes turn to Naruto, and my stomach began to churn with anxiety. I knew that was coming.

"I'm...sorry I couldn't help Sakura."

My eyes once again turned to Sasuke. I wished that I could read his onyx orbs like I always do, but wishes like that were beyond me. I could only feel his muscles tense and relax, sense his smiles twist and fade.

"It's fine."

I let off a soft smile. Even now, when we were all turning the ripe age of twenty-six, it was hard to see Naruto and Sasuke on good terms. It was so rare that moments like this, when Naruto and Sasuke actually _showed _their brotherly bond, were heartwarming.

"I wish I could see you two like this. If I could have just one..."

I stopped when I sensed Naruto and Sasuke exchange glances.

"Sakura, the dobe and I are going to visit Hokage-sama. We'll return shortly."

I nodded, and smiled when I felt his warm lips gently press against mine. I returned the chaste kiss on reflex, and waved them good-bye when we parted.

I sensed Naruto and Sasuke's bodies tense before they left. I questioned this silently, but waited for them to close the door behind them before I lay down on my back and fell asleep.

* * *

"Will it be possible, Tsunade-sama?" 

Tsunade wearily looked at Sasuke, biting her bottom lip in extreme hesitation.

"Are you sure you're okay with it? It won't completely be the same."

Sasuke turned to face his teammate for silent pleas of help, and Naruto looked at the Hokage seriously, a focused face present on his skin.

"Tsunade-baa-chan, it's completely possible, right? What are the chances of it to be successful?"

"Well, I've done many operations like this before, and I've gotten quite successful at this. For me, it's almost guaranteed that it'll be a complete success. It'll be a 99 percent chance of success."

Sasuke nodded.

"Then let me talk to Sakura, please."

Tsunade dismissed him, and waited for him to disappear, before turning her weary hazel eyes to her successor.

"Naruto, how do you think this'll go?"

"I think you should let him do it. Just think of it as a gift to Sakura."

Tsunade smiled and nodded.

"That's an interesting speculation of yours. It would look nice, don't you agree?"**  
**

* * *

I slowly stirred when I heard Sasuke's heavy footsteps once more. I groggily sat up, rubbing my dead eyes out of habit. I frowned when I once again felt like the world was just a living stereo, full of sounds that I couldn't see. My frown instantly faded when I felt his lips on mine as his way of greeting me. When he broke away, I felt him take a seat next to me. I took his hand, and gently began to become a part of it; I could feel the chakra swirling through his body, his muscles tense and relax, his heart beat faster then slower. 

"What's wrong?" I asked.

I had felt his muscles in his body tense incredibly. I knew he only did that when he was contemplating on a _very _important decision.

"Are you going to be okay for going into surgery?"

"Surgery? For what?"

I could feel his muscles tense even more (when I thought it was impossible). My hand left his as I traced his face, his scowl forming in my mind as I felt his muscles and folds of skin.

"Will you trust me?"

I bit my lip at his tone. It was like he was begging me, pleading me. If I could see, I knew that I would see an abnormal shine in his eyes. I knew that I would succumb to it if I could see those eyes right at this moment.

"Of course. I trust you with anything."

He nodded, and gently took my tiny hand in his large, calloused ones. I smiled when I felt his gentle strokes on my skin.

"Then...will you do the surgery?"

"If you want me to."

I felt him nod.

"Tomorrow."

"Okay. I'm ready."**  
**

* * *

My surgery took place the next day, just as Sasuke had told me. I was put on anesthetics (of course), and before I knew it, it was over. I still had yet to figure out what the surgery was for, as nobody would tell me anything about it. Now, a week later, I was surprised when Tsunade-shishou, Naruto, and Sasuke walked into my room. 

"What's wrong?"

"I'm going to take off the wrap around your eye now, Sakura."

I nodded. I had no idea that I had a wrap over my eye...

"Now, when I tell you to, I want you to open your left eye, very, _very _slowly."

I nodded. Why did it matter? I couldn't see.

"Okay. Now."

Following Tsunade-shishou's instructions, I slowly opened my eyes. I was surprised when I saw blinding light around me, and when my eye had completely adjusted, and nearly fell over in shock. I could see; I could _see. _I could see the living stereo that now became a living photograph! I could see the things that made the noises. I could see the things that had their own distinctive scents and aromas.

_I could see._

I was surprised when my eyes wandered to Sasuke's. He had a genuine smile on his face that made me melt, and he began walking towards me, both of us entranced by a somewhat-reunion. I closed my eyes when I felt his warm, welcoming lips over mine, and smiled against his flesh.

It felt nice to see what was happening.

When we broke apart, my eyes slowly fluttered open. I was surprised when I was met with an emerald and onyx eye, both on the same face. And I _swear, _it was _not _my reflection or brain doing that to me.

"Sasuke...what...why?"

He smiled at me once more and took my gentle hand in his.

"Your eyes are important to you, aren't they?"

"Well – yeah – but ..."

"And you are important to me."

Our eyes locked, and I felt my onyx eye begin to well over with tears. I let off a soft smile and gently embraced him. My smile only grew wider when I felt his strong arms wrap around me.

"Now you have half of me with you."

"Cheesy."

We both let off sonorous laughs that filled the air. I smiled when we broke away and gazed into each other's eyes. Emerald and onyx were a pretty sight to see, even more so when they were on the same face.

"Let's go visit Kakashi. I think he needs to teach you something."

I looked at him.

"If you try hard enough, you might just see the world moving in slow motion."**  
**

* * *

**A/N:** Well, this was a random one, sorta. Anyway, I was thinking of making this into a lengthy story (WITH AN EPILOGUE :D). So, if I do, this might be the general skeleton of things. Would anyone be interested IF I DID make this into a full-blown story? ;o; 

And as to the last line, I'm not sure how much sense it makes. It basically means that since Sakura has one of Sasuke's eyes, then she _might _be able to activate his Sharingan. Using a crapload of chakra. And since Sharingan can pick up fast motion, then...yeah.

Also, I know that blind eyes lose the color of their irises. Let's just say Tsunade used special chakra-powers to enhance and return Sakura's natural iris colors.

Thanks for reading!


	10. TEASER: Colors of the Heart

**Colors of the Heart**  
_Teaser featured in Intertwined  
Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto  
I also do not own the lyrics or the song title.  
**Song: Colors of the Heart  
Artist: UVERworld**

**A/N: **This is a teaser for a most-likely future story. (:

* * *

_**Ano hi boku no kokoro wa oto mo naku kuzure satta **__On that day my heart crumbled in silence  
**Kowarete saken demo keshi sarenai kioku to**_ _Even though I scream at being broken and inerasable memories and  
__**Kurayami ga hitomi no naka he to nagarekomu **__Darkness flows into my eyes  
__**Mou iro sae mienai ashita he to shizumu **__And I sink into tomorrow whose colors can't even be seen anymore

* * *

_I looked at the marble white stone that was forever planted on the ground of the cemetery, the cherry blossom tree beside the grave in full bloom, showering the marble with pink blossoms and the suffocating scent. The tears that were once always present in my eyes seemed to disappear; I could only stare at the words, the _name_, written on the marble and _hate. _It was a week ago that there was a small ceremony for my _hero, _my _idol; _for the one that helped me into this life and taught me the pains and all the reality of it. My father's tombstone was given an honorable spot in the Hyuuga's part of the cemetery. He had fulfilled his duty as a Branch House Member; he protected his older brother by a few seconds, and _died _for him. 

_Hate._

I loathed the Main House family. They _killed _my father, for the sake of _their _own house. I hated how they didn't care that the Branch House and the Main House were all the same; we were all brothers, sisters, cousins, and aunts and uncles.

"Father."

That was all that I was able to say. I was at loss as to what I should say. Should I tell him how lost I was in life? Or should I tell him my new goals?

"I will...get rid of the Branch House."

I continued to stare at the marble letters, trying to find some comfort. When the intoxicating scent of cherry blossoms began to suffocate me, I turned away and began to walk back to the compound, knowing that my _new _fatherless life has just begun.

It was too much to live in a place that I believed had killed my father. It was hard to live in a place where there was discrimination between our own family members. It was _difficult to live there with no family left._

_Life is like a boat._

_And I think I am sinking._

* * *

I turned five, and my uncle, Hiashi, enrolled me into the Academy. On the first day, I grew jealous and envious of all the kids that were with their mothers and fathers, smiling and laughing as if there was nothing wrong in the world. When I walked into the classroom for the first time, I heard all the kids whispering about me. Some girls squealed and whispered how cute I was, and the boys whispered that I must be ... _gay. _At the same time, most whispered about how _scary _my eyes were. 

_I am a Hyuuga. I do not associate myself with people who think the Byakugan is ... __**scary. **_

When I sat down, I was met with a young boy, whom I felt had no skills in being a ninja whatsoever. He was on odd one; his eyes were a kind that I had never seen before, and he held a determination that could never be wavered or stopped. He seemed unfazed by my looks, and gave me a blinding smile.

"I am Rock Lee. It is a pleasure to meet you."

I winced. His voice was undoubtedly _happy. _And I _hated _hear it.

"Hyuuga Neji," I replied.

He nodded in acknowledgement, and continued to scan the room for anyone else he might want to befriend. I let out a sigh and looked out the window, the sun's warmth penetrating through the glass and seeping into my skin. I seemed to feel new warmth as well, as if my father was wishing my good luck from wherever he was.

"Uhm...is someone sitting here?"

Lee and I both turned to a young girl who seemed to have panda ears. We had never seen her before, and her eyes seemed to be of different descent, as if she were from China. She was petit and skinny, her hands tiny and fragile. Lee shook his head and let of his blinding smile once more, and the girl seemed to be amused by this and let off a shy giggle.

"No, this seat is free," Lee told her.

She smiled and took a seat next to us, her tiny hands drumming the wooden desks absentmindedly. I examined her, and found that she had a few scars on her skin. Her hands seemed to be hard, unlike most gentle girl-like hands.

"I'm Tenten."

Lee once again smiled.

"I am Rock Lee, and this is Hyuuga Neji."

She turned to face me and let off an innocent smile.

"Nice to meet you, Lee, Neji."

Her eyes seemed to linger on mine for a few moments more, and they turned to the front of the room as our sensei walked in through the door.

* * *

My eyes scanned the marble tombstone once more, the dead petals of the blossoms lingering onto the innocent, marble surface. It was in the deep summer, and Konoha was met with a large heat wave. I had just turned seven, and I was beginning to grow popular with the girls (which was a nightmare), and with my teachers. I was the prodigy of my class, and it made me smirk when I finished all the exercises without a sweat. 

"Father, are you proud of me?" I whispered.

Whenever I came here, a side of fragility that I never showed always overcame me, and my willpower succumbed to its pleas to be released. I felt like I was a five-year-old boy once more, who was still learning the pains and sorrows of the world. I felt like I was a happy little boy, whose father was still alive to guide him.

"Neji?"

I turned around and found Tenten walking towards me. It was two years ago that we had met, and unlike most girls, she didn't try to cling to me or any of that annoying sort. Instead she would just smile and have a nice chat, not once trying to move closer to me – in _that _way at least. She let off that innocent smile of hers and stood next to me.

"Who are you visiting?" She asked me.

I let my gaze linger on her for a few moments, before I was met with the marble words once more.

"My father."

She nodded and smiled.

"I wish I had family to visit."

In ways she was teaching me things without herself knowing it. She just spoke, smiled, and let all her thoughts flow out in her words and in her tones. Sometimes I envied how she could still smile even when everything was going wrong in her life.

I turned around and began walking to someplace that even I didn't know as of yet, and I heard her slow footsteps following me. I didn't mind; as long as she didn't bother me, I didn't mind. I knew she wouldn't cling to me or try to hug me, or any of those girl things.

"Where are you going?" She questioned me.

"I don't know."

* * *

"What happened to you?" She cried out. 

We were on our way to turning twelve, and I was sitting at a lake, staring at the reflective ripples of the water as an autumn breeze passed us by.

"I crumbled. That is what has happened."

She stared at me with wide eyes, like I was crazy and paranoid. I could see her eyes beginning to shine with tears and the words that she knew she couldn't tell me, and I turned away from her, my eyes continuing to stare at the cold waters.

"Why didn't you tell me from the start?"

I turned to face her once more, a deep scowl on my face. My eyes were narrowed as I bore into her, and I could _sense _her resolve breaking. We were close friends, but after a few years had past, it seemed that trauma had caught on to me. I was more silent, more arrogant, and _colder._

I was a believer of Fate and Destiny.

And because of that, my heart turned to ice and stone.

"Do not be hypocritical with me, Tenten. Do not tell me that 'I should have told you from the start' when you know _full well _that you should have told me from the start as well."

My voice seemed to come out harsher than I had intended, and she was taken aback by a tone that I had never used with her before. She clenched her fists and bit her lip, her eyes seeming to burn holes onto my pale skin.

"You're living in a _dull monochrome, _aren't you?"

She seemed to hiss at me, and before I could retort, she stormed away.

I am a believer of Fate and Destiny.

And it was Fate for her to storm away from me.**  
**

* * *

Now, when we are thirteen and placed onto the same team with Maito Gai and Rock Lee, our relationship was forced to start all over again. We lost most friendliness we held for each other, and we both seemed to push away the icy memories. It was rocky at first, the quarrel that seemed to end our friendship always reverberating through our brains. 

But when we needed to spar, we chose the other for partners. We were evened out in our skills, really; she would help me perfect my Kaiten and Jyuuken, while I would help her perfect her Soshoryu and her new techniques that she was always creating.

Our friendship never really ended, but it never really started either. It was suspended in the space between. I was still cold and arrogant, and she was still hidden behind a fake façade.

I wanted to get rid of the cursed Branch House, while she wanted to be as great as one of the Sannin, Tsunade. So basically, us sparring together benefited both of us.

"Neji," she murmured, one day after a hard spar.

We were turning fourteen then, and our relationship was still rocky from our little quarrel that day when we were twelve. I gave her an acknowledging glance, and she stared at me with intense eyes that I hadn't seen since our little 'break-up'.

"Do you know what happens when a mother panda gives birth to two cubs?"

I stared at her and shook my head. For the first time, she had me at loss.

"She must pick one and let the other die."

My gaze lingered on her eyes for several moments, and I turned away.

"And my mom...she picked my brother."

An awkward silence left a heavy weight on the air. I didn't know what to say, and she seemed to sense this, and let off that innocent smile of hers.

"_She must pick one and let the other die..." _She whispered.

I got up and began walking back to the Hyuuga compound. I stopped when I reached her side, but I didn't move. My body was frozen, trying to process and create a motion that would comfort her. But I couldn't think of anything – I knew that we still hadn't completely forgiven each other for what we had both said.

"That is Fate."

She turned to look at me, and I could feel the sorrow in her eyes. We were the same, without parents, and feeling like we were alone in the world. She smiled, but I knew she was faking it. She got up and began walking towards her apartment, her footsteps seeming to reverberate through the heavy air.

"Yes," I heard her murmur, "Fate."**  
**

* * *

I awoke on instinct at exactly 4:00 AM in the morning. Tenten and I had a spar for training on a new S-Ranked mission, and we had promised each other that we (or more accurately, _she) _would not be late. 

Perhaps I should go through a quick flashback through my life, up until this exact moment.

After she had told me the story of the mother panda, our friendship had finally picked up where it had left off. It was still rocky, because I _am _who I _am – _an arrogant, cocky, genius. I knew that she was trying to regain my trust, and she wasn't fond of my obsession with Fate and Destiny.

After the Chuunin Exams, when my obsession had died down, we began to grow closer and closer. And, well, we went through the ranks like it was nothing. So now, when we are nineteen, we are on the same squad for ANBU – I the captain, she my vice.

I began walking to our appointed training grounds, my hands stuffed in my pockets. The early chill of autumn made me shiver, and my sandals began to grow wet from the morning dew.

"Neji!" She quietly said.

I turned around and waited for her to catch up to me. She gave me her same, innocent smile, and I could only smirk back. She seemed to respect this, knowing all my reasons why I _still _couldn't show one damn emotion other than anger and the sort.

"Neji, I..."

I turned to face her, knowing what she was about to say. Before I could hear the words and before she could say them, I stopped her.

"Don't say it."

She seemed hurt by this, but she let off another smile nonetheless. I felt the sorrow emit from her smile and her eyes, and I instantly turned around and continued walking. If I stared more, a ridiculous amount of guilt would build up in the pit of my stomach.

"You're still...living in a monochrome, even after all these years?"

I slowed my pace for a second, but instantly picked up my feet and resumed my natural, fast-paced walking.

"That day...I sank."

I walked away from her, knowing that she would follow me. I sensed her linger in her spot for a few moments, but she ran up to me to walk beside me after a few moments of hesitation and deep thought.

_Then I will teach you..._

_...And I will help you regain your colors._**  
**

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, so, this IS NOT A DRABBLE, I KNOW. I just need to know what you people think about this. I'm not sure if I should let it be a oneshot, or make a whole story on it. 

I'm pretty sure I'm going to make a full story if you guys like it. (:

Thanks for reading!


	11. Live

**Intertwined  
**_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto  
**A/N:** New story **Colors of the Heart **is up. (: Thanks for your reviews!

* * *

**Live**

* * *

Moonlight penetrated the thick, forest canopies as the sounds of clashing steel and agonizing cries reverberated through the cold, heavy air. Ninja of the Sound and of the Leaf battled in the mists and ravages of war, each holding fast to their ideals and to their life. Everywhere, the once beautiful forests of Konoha were stained with blood and with corpses. 

In the resting clearing for the Leaf, there lay many tents for the tired ninja who had fought their fill for the day resting, their tired and aching bodies trying to recover for the next hours of required fighting and killing. In one, dim tent, Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto quietly sat, their bodies weary and tired from two days of nonstop fighting. After they had passed their limits three times over, they were finally allowed a few hours of rest and sleep, before they would be woken to fight once more.

"I swear I saw the Teme, Sakura-chan," the blond's coarse voice called out.

Sakura turned to face her teammate, only wrapping the warm blanket around her tighter, her stained hands clutching the fabric as hard as they could. Her pools of emerald stared into her teammate's cerulean orbs, a weary smile present on her lips.

"Don't we all care about Sasuke?" She spat.

Naruto's eyebrow rose with insult and surprise, and he sighed and turned away from his teammate, his piercing orbs carefully watching the surroundings. Sakura bit her lip in regret, but remained silent, not wanting to start another conversation with her teammate and once again snap at him.

"What will we do if we see him on the battlefield?" He asked, after several moments of silence.

"Kill him."

Naruto furrowed his brow at his teammate's too-quick response, his face caught in a rare scowl. Five years ago, when Sasuke had left Konoha, Sakura had changed for better _and _for worse. Her strength and abilities grew incredibly, with help from Tsunade, but her personality became cold and fake. She would plaster on fake smiles and pretend everything was fine, but everyone knew that she was broken. On missions, her cold attitude had shone; she was not afraid to kill or to die. It seemed that she had accepted everything as it was, and simply put, she believed there was nothing else to _live for. _

"Nobody deserves to die; you know that, Sakura."

"Tell the Uchiha that next time you see him."

"Who died?"

Sakura let off a wry smile, her once beautiful emerald orbs now dull and lifeless. Her hands clutched the fabric around her even tighter, her knuckles growing white from the pressure of her strong grip.

"Me."

Naruto stared at her, unable to find the correct words to say. Sakura seemed unfazed by this, and continued to dully stare at the floor beneath her. Irritated, Naruto got up and stormed out of the tent, his heavy footsteps heard even when he was yards away.

"We're all on the wrong side," Sakura murmured.

* * *

The unusually dark night brought Naruto and Sakura back out of their tents, fully rested and recovered, ready for another few days of nonstop fighting. Both were still on rocky terms; Naruto was unable to look at Sakura without anger or remorse, while Sakura refused to look at him altogether. 

"Sakura..." Naruto began.

Sakura stopped him with a sudden gaze of intensity, her eyes furrowed in concentration. Naruto instantly shut his mouth, and waited for Sakura's signal.

"Well, look here," came a familiar baritone.

Sakura and Naruto whipped backwards and found Uchiha Sasuke standing there, blood found all over his robes and dripping from his sword. His three tomoe in each eye were dangerously twirling, a nasty, sadistic smirk found on his pale lips.

"_Sasuke."_

Sasuke smirked when he heard Sakura's uncharacteristic angry voice.

"Sakura, Naruto. It's been a while."

Naruto narrowed his eyes in fury, but held his growing rage back, knowing that if anything, it was Sakura and Sasuke's battle. It was always theirs from the start – from when Sakura had started to like him, to the time when Sakura began to love him, and to the time when he had left her, _broken. _

"Well, aren't you in the right position to say so," Sakura growled.

Sasuke seemed amused by the side of Sakura that he had never seen before, and shrugged indifferently, his smirk growing wider and wider as he felt Sakura's anger. He was about to retort, but he was once again stopped.

"We're all standing on the wrong side of this," she said, her voice growing even more desperate.

Naruto began to feel Sakura's resolve breaking, her body beginning to noticeably shake.

"You...you're not supposed to be _there. _You're supposed to be _here." _

"You're annoying," came his cool reply.

Sakura clenched his fists in anger, a wry smile beginning to form on her lips.

"What's more annoying? Living for a broken tomorrow, or trying for a miracle?"

There was a heavy silence between the three teammates.

"Naruto, let's go."

* * *

"_What are you doing back here?"_

It had been three years since the war between Sound and Konoha ended. All ninja were happy to know that they would finally be able to _rest, _to _recover. _Many villagers knew they would be able to sleep well now that the notorious Sound had been taken down and _conquered. _

Sakura stared in surprise as Uchiha Sasuke walked through the same village gates, a tired smirk on his lips.

"What's better, Sakura? Living for a broken tomorrow, or trying for a miracle?"

Her eyes began to flow back to life, the once dull orbs becoming more and more beautiful as the seconds passed. Her first genuine smile in eight years bloomed onto her rosy lips as her gentle laughter rang through the air.

"It was annoying to live for no tomorrow."

Sasuke stared at her, a tiny, almost invisible, upward lift of his lips present on his handsome face. He walked towards her and took hold of her fragile hand in his, leading her away from the bitter memories that she was never able to forget.

"Just live."

She nodded.

* * *

_She had lost all slivers of hope. But she kept trying for a miracle._

_But never once had she realized that all she must do is live. And one day, he would return to her, waiting for her familiar embrace._

* * *

**A/N: **Nottt a fan of this one. XD I just felt like I had to update, so ... here's the update! Anyway, if you have time, please check out my new story **Colors of the Heart**!  
Thanks for reading!_  
_


	12. Beloved Traitor

**Intertwined**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto  
**A/N: **This isn't a drabble, I know. D: I'm on the edge of FULL-STORY or just leave it as a oneshot. Let me know if you guys want me to continue this. (:  
Thanks for your reviews!

* * *

**Beloved Traitor

* * *

**"_Sasuke-kun, what is emotion to you?"_

"_Annoying."_

"_Sasuke-kun, where do the stars go at night?"_

"_Stop with the questions. They're annoying."_

* * *

Haruno Sakura stared, as the blossoms of springs lay sprawled all over the village, their once beautiful and sweet aromas fading and becoming lifeless. Their dry, dull, brown color seemed to blend with the dirt, crunching and crushing as unknowing feet destroyed the blossoms that once held so much life. Her bright emerald orbs gently gazed at the remains of spring lay before her, fading away and disintegrating into the harsh summer heat. She felt that she, too, was fading away and disintegrating into the summer. She felt that her short life of spring was lived and it was finally her time to _die_. 

Her quiet, delicate footsteps seemed to dodge all the broken blossoms as she walked towards her apartment, her heart not wanting to further destroy the lifeless beauties. They seemed to reverberate through the soft air, never once her footsteps crunching as they clashed with the dirt and the blossoms beneath. She sensed her heart silently beating, ever so carefully against her rib cage.

_How long has it been?_

Her mind began to wander as her body automatically continued to walk towards her apartment.

_Too long._

A deep scowl tainted her naturally beautiful face as she wandered farther and farther away from the real world and into the world of her mind, her dreams, and her fantasies. She let off a deep sigh when she was once again haunted by her traitorous love, Uchiha Sasuke. Six years ago was the fateful day that he had decided to betray his village and leave everything behind.

She had once thought that she was always so far behind her other teammate, Uzumaki Naruto, and Sasuke. They were always three steps ahead while she struggled to catch up, and when she did, they would be another three steps ahead. It was such a vicious cycle that never seemed to end, and it _annoyed _her. She hated being the weak girl that always needed to be saved and protected. She _hated _being three steps behind while her teammates were always three steps ahead.

But it had all changed when Sasuke left them. It was then that she realized that she was never, in truth, three steps behind while the others were three steps ahead. In fact, she wasn't "behind" in anything. She was just following, watching, enclosed in a shell; she somehow knew that someday (as destiny) she would be able to break out of her shell and blossom. And when he had uttered the last words of thanks and farewell to her that night was _the _day when she could blossom. And blossom she did.

_What is emotion to you?_

One of the last, gentle spring breezes twirled past Sakura, her pink locks dancing with the turbulence. Her scowl disappeared and was replaced by a content look complete with a content smile. The dead blossoms began to swirl around her, getting scattered and torn by the gentle winds of oncoming summer. She continued walking towards her apartment, her mind and heart settled for the time being with contentment and acceptance.

Everything about him was undoubtedly...

_Annoying._

* * *

When Sakura had finally arrived at her apartment door, ready to indulge herself in the comfortable pillows and confines of her lovely bed, she was interrupted right as she closed the front door. The loud, booming, and recognizable voice (that she had wished, like many other times, to go away) of her teammate ricocheted off her walls. She let off a moan of frustration and opened the door, quickly sending out a mean right hook, and smiled contentedly when her teammate doubled over in pain (this time, he wasn't sent flying. Sad.) 

"Ramen?"

Sakura let off a small sigh and nodded. It was nice to spend so much time with people that almost felt like her second family. She loved all dearly.

Naruto gazed at his teammate from the corner of his eye as she sat next to him at Ichiraku, her miso ramen hardly touched. His cerulean orbs softened with understanding and sympathy, as her emerald orbs seemed to be growing duller as the seconds passed _without him. _He let off a small, pitiful smile that was meant for her, but undeniably for himself as well. She truly loved a traitor. And he...he was pathetic enough to _lose _to a traitor and let him betray them in the first place.

It was in these times that he realized how much he loved her. He would give anything, _everything, _just to see her genuine smile and her emerald orbs shine.**  
**

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes as soft, silver moonlight sifted through her room and shone upon her. She turned to her bedroom window and watched as the stars shone and glittered on the onyx sky. Her heart panged with anger, pain, and confusion as the omnipotent onyx sky seemed to taunt her, watch her, like the eyes of her beloved traitor. She frowned in the unusual, but omnipotent, pain in her chest. 

The stars continued to glitter and shine, showing off all their beautiful glory. At times, Sakura wished that she were like the stars in the sky. It would mean being close, and part of, the onyx; it would be like she was _with _him, a _part _of him. It would mean that she could watch over the Earth and the people whom she held dear; hearing their wishes, their quiet pleas, and their questioning the heavens above about miracles. It was these times when she wanted so desperately to be one of the stars, not a short-lived beautiful blossom that dies so quickly.

But that was as she was born as and will remain as until she dies – a _blossom_. She would dance and twirl with the turbulences, bloom and shine for spring. But when the end of the beautiful season came, she would wither away and die, left to be stepped on and torn, until the next season. She wouldn't be able to watch like the stars, or listen like the stars. She would be the one who would watch and listen as people sat beneath her branches and spoke of their troubles, their accomplishments, their worries, and their pride.

_Sasuke...I wish to watch you, wherever you are._

When she thought about him, the painful pang in her chest always returned with every beat her heart let off. It happened so often that she had begun to grow immune to the feeling. It happened when she and Naruto sparred with Kakashi, happened when she would happen to walk by the Uchiha manor and see the clan symbol tattered and torn. Everything, _everything, _she found some sort of resemblance to him.

She had no clue why she loved him, really. She was aware of all the pain he was causing her; she wasn't one to fake anything or choose to ignore reality. That was the Sakura from the genin days, but this is the Sakura in the ANBU days. She knew that he was a cold, arrogant jerk that needed a change of vocal vocabulary and an ego check. She knew that never once did he choose to acknowledge her confessions (though she did admit she had been annoying back when they were genin), nor look into the depth of her words and determine if what she was telling him was _real. _

It wasn't infatuation like his old fangirls. It was more like admiration and respect that created her love for him. She accepted all his faults, knowing that everyone else had problems and mistakes that just couldn't be changed. She respected his privacy and his space, and admired his strength, his determination, _everything _about him. Nor did she expect him to suddenly become a hopeless romantic and have romantic confessions and dates under the stars like all the fangirls fantasized; _that just wasn't who he was. _

Who Uchiha Sasuke is truly is a mystery. Many people know him as the lone survivor of the Uchiha clan, prodigy extraordinaire. The fangirls know him as Mr. Heartthrob, Mr. Sexy; _anything _based on his looks. But only Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi, and a save few others _truly _knew the _real _Uchiha Sasuke. He was a broken child; his mind brainwashed and corrupted by his brother's acquired Mangekyou Sharingan. He thrived to be the center of attention, wanting everyone to acknowledge his strength and skills. He was once bubbly and cute before his life had been thrown to a completely different direction and path, causing him to retreat into a cold, arrogant, and icy shell. _This _Uchiha Sasuke was the one that Sakura loved. And she didn't care _one _bit if he was thriving for attention or corrupted in the mind.

_He was Uchiha Sasuke. The boy she loved._

She loved her beloved traitor so much, even though she knew that there was barely any possibility of him returning her feelings of love. She wondered if he just found her as a fangirl, annoying and infatuated, when she _loved _him. And that was truly what had hurt her, thinking that he couldn't see the _real _Haruno Sakura.

_She wasn't like the infatuated bimbos. She wasn't._

She was strong and she could put up a good fight. She could even _heal _herself and her teammates after a good fight if she was smart enough to keep her chakra reserves untouched. She was feared in enemy territories along with Naruto, just because she was renown as Tsunade's apprentice who achieved the same (perhaps even more powerful) inhuman strength. She was, what people would say, the _epitome _of what a kunoichi should be. She was modest enough to say that all her friends (Ino, Hinata, Tenten) were all epitomes of what a kunoichi should be.

_She didn't flaunt her skills and abilities._

The day when he had left the village and the days following were hard for everyone, especially for her. She felt lonely, empty, _rejected. _She confessed her real love for him, yet she was shot down, like so many times before. It was hard for her to get back up on her feet and start life again, _without _him. It was hard, she knew, living without the person you _lived _to see everyday. It felt like she was a wife with a deceased husband, _a widow. _

_Where do the stars go at night?_

She once again looked up at the night sky, envying the shining stars. She wished to shine like them, shine towards them, and _become _a star. She wanted to watch her beloved traitor, hate him, love him, and enjoy the sweet sensations.

But it hurt wishing for the impossible.

_Sasuke-kun, the stars never leave the sky. Even when it is not their time to shine, they are always there, watching, and shining on._

The reflection of the onyx sky shone on her emerald orbs.

_My beloved traitor..._

_...I want to be your shining star._

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks for reading, everyone! I hope it held your interest and was to your liking. (: This was sorta based off **A Thousand Miles**, so that's why I'm on the edge of making it a full-story. The storyline for it, however, is sorta...blurry. Perhaps Sakura and Naruto will be sent on an epic mission to infiltrate the Sound once and for all, with all the Sasuke drama in between! XD (That idea was totally off the top of my head, by the way) Let me know if you have any lovely ideas; I'm completely open to them (: 

Thank you for reading! –heartheart-


	13. Familiarity

_I'm sorry I left you, Kakashi..._

_But you know I can't ever come back._

-

-

**Intertwined**  
_Familiarity_

**Disclaimer:**Naruto is not mine

**-**

**-**

Rain gently fell upon Konoha, cleansing everything from dirt and filth as the cold raindrops plummeted towards the Earth. There stood a lone woman, invisible, undetected; she stood with poise and elegance, of regret and of sorrow, of memories and of pain. It was a wonder how she remained undetected when she had made her way into her former home; perhaps, she thought, that her chakra was not threatening enough to those guarding the gates. This woman stood before the Memorial Stone, the Hero's Monument, and looked at the names carved into the obsidian, her chestnut orbs quietly tracing the name of her old friend.

_Uchiha Obito._

Her chestnut orbs began to water with her salty tears, her heart panging with the old memories and the omnipotent pain.

"Well, I didn't know you'd ever come back here."

The woman turned around, surprised and shocked.

"K-Kakashi. P-please don't t-tell Saru –"

"He's dead."

The harsh bluntness of his familiar voice sent chills down her spine, sent icicles into her already broken heart. There was an awkward silence between the two former teammates. The woman looked at her childhood crush with awe; he had remained the same, except now he boasted of the Copy-Nin Kakashi legacy and wore his chuunin vest. She noted how he had tucked away an orange book (and found herself utterly disgusted), but found nothing else different. Kakashi, in turn, looked at his former teammate with his sorrowful, lazy eye. He began to remember the days when his team, his _family,_was alive, and when he could bring a smile to her face. He remembered the joyous feeling of being able to make her smile.

"I'm sorry I left, Kakashi-kun, but you know I can't ever come back."

"I never asked you to."

"Why are you -"

"I'm not."

His visible eye crinkled, the only indication that he wore the unseen smile beneath his valued mask. The woman forcefully returned the smile and averted her gaze to the shining stone, her smile not fading as her mind continued to read the name of her teammate over and over.

"Rin," the aging ninja began, "I should have tried to stop you."

The woman, Rin, let off a forced chuckle, her chestnut orbs shining with her tears of sorrow and happiness.

"Even if you had tried, I still would have left."

"If I listened -"

"Kakashi-kun," she quietly interrupted, "It wasn't your fault."

There was silence once more.

"I have to leave now, Kakashi."

She was met with a tiny nod.

"Kakashi-kun, I – before I go, you have a team, don't you? Of Minato-sensei's son, a cherry blossom, and an Uchiha?"

"Yes."

She forced another smile.

"Don't be scared to tell them about us – I mean, Obito-kun and I."

"Don't worry, Rin," he replied, "They've already went through what we did. There's no lesson to be taught."

"What's it like? Having the face of Minato-sensei looking at you each day, and the same eyes of an Uchiha staring at you?"

She was met with more silence.

"Oh, it just reminds me to return what was given to me a long time ago."

"Don't let it tear you apart, Kakashi-kun. I can see it in your eyes –"

"Rin," he interrupted, "They're my family. It's like I'm intertwined to every single one of my students – my children – to my valued teacher to my teammates. I have Minato-sensei's son, Obito's cousin, and the spitting image of you. Time just loves to be on my side, Rin. I know because of what happened, you're destined to never stay here for good. But it may never hurt to see them with your own eyes. I didn't replace you guys."

She laughed.

"Still perceptive as ever. Anyway – good-bye for now, Kakashi-kun."

"Rin, try to smile like you mean it."

The rain had stopped pouring, the sunshine peeking over past the horizon. She smiled and disappeared, her chestnut scent refreshed by the air.

**-**

****

**-**

"Who's there?"

"Sasuke-kun, it's not like it's -"

"Tsk tsk, Sakura-chan, letting down your guard."

"Shut up, Naruto-baka!"

They heard nearly inaudible giggles and they instantly stopped arguing.

"Did you –"

"Sakura-chan –"

"Sasu –"

Rin watched from the shadows as the faces of the people she remembered and held dear continued to relive her own history.

She smiled once more, and disappeared, once more leaving behind her only home and the people she held dear.

"Whoa, Sasuke-kun, do you smell that chestnut?"

"Hn. Yeah."

"It smells familiar, Sakura-chan."

-

****

-

_Familiarity doesn't always have to be conscious._

_The people who know you – in one way or another – will recognize you..._

_...As long as you remain who you are._

-

****

**-**

**A/N:** So, there's another drabble for you!

I sorta want to turn this into a full-story, just because I sorta like the concept of how much Kakashi's past is like Naruto's & Sakura's & Sasuke's past.

Anyway, thanks for reading!


	14. Teardrops & The Rain

_Touching's not the only way to feel..._

"Rin -"

"Kakashi-kun, _leave me alone!" _

He looked at his teammate sadly, his two lazy eyes staring at her, watering with the first tears he had cried in years. His red eye haunted both of them, haunting them with memories and with moments that both could not bear to live without.

"Kakashi-kun – why, _why_ did ... why did _Obito-kun have to die?" _

The thirteen-year-old looked outside of the dreary hospital window, his eyes and his heart searching for consolation. The sky matched the dreary day, a dull overcast of grey with no sunlight. A light shower had begun, the beginning of a harsh storm to come.

"There's never any difference is there, Rin?"

The air was filled with her violent sobs, her tears beginning to drown the hospital tiles with her sorrow.

"There's never any difference between your teardrops and the rain."

-

-

**Intertwined**  
_Teardrops & The Rain_

**Disclaimer:**Don't own Naruto.  
Song lyrics are from "When the Rain Falls" from the Pixel Perfect Soundtrack.

-

-

_When the rain falls, _

_It's like heaven's crying..._

The once lively village of Konoha was clouded in a sea of black and white, glowing white flowers in the hands of each villager on the dreary day. They stood before the obsidian monument with sad eyes, watching as yet another name was forever carved on the glistening stone.

_Uchiha Obito._

There were no more sobs and no more tears, only a deafening silence that screamed at the three ninja whom the recently deceased Obito held dear. The Hokage stood in his glory, stood looking at the name of his deceased student with sorrow. Never once had he thought tragedy would slip into the lives of his precious students like it had his. The two youngsters in front of him stared at the stone with apathetic eyes, their tears dried out the night before while they were waiting in the hospital. The girl stared with her empty chestnut eyes, the flower in her hand proving one of her only remaining attachments to sanity. The boy next to her stared with his lazy eye, the only remaining piece of his best friend covered by his hitai-ate, too haunted by its memories to show itself in front of the stone.

Rain began to fall once more as the three ninja dropped their white flowers in front of the stones, their movements robotic and cold. The girl and boy instantly turned, walking out of the sea of black, their hearts screaming with sorrow; but no more salty tears fell from their eyes. They had promised each other the other night that their best friend – their _brother_– would hate to see them torn. The Hokage let off a soft smile as he watched his two students walk away, he too, wanting to break away from the sorrow; but it was his duty to watch every villager say their condolences, and so he stayed, his eyes forever remaining on the engraved name.

"Kakashi-kun," the girl brokenly began, her once sweet voice now coarse and rash, "I miss him already."

"I do, too," the boy quietly said.

They were once again enshrouded with silence, the only sound between them the harsh pattering of the rain as the raindrops dispersed against the Earth. The boy looked at the girl sadly, watching as she closed her eyes and faced the sky, the rain splattering against her face. He quietly saw her stream of tears from her eyes, but said nothing.

"Rin," he said, "When you cry –"

She turned to face him and smiled, her chestnut locks sticking to her pale face.

"I know," she replied, "There's no difference between my teardrops and the rain."

He looked at her surprised, and closed his empty eyes when he felt her embrace him. He inhaled her scent of chestnuts and almonds and cinnamon, his heart beginning to swell. She quietly held him, knowing that there was never anything else she could do for him.

"Kakashi-kun," she quietly whispered, "It wasn't your fault."

"If I -"

"_Kakashi,_" she harshly interjected, "We're all the same."

He slowly removed himself from her arms and looked into her chestnut orbs, his broken reflection shown in her irises. He slowly moved his hitai-ate from his left eye, the red, blinding Sharingan of their brother seeming to shine through the dreary night. He removed his famous mask, his pale lips trembling from cold and sorrow. She smiled at him and gently leaned into his lips, the gaps between them closing.

_Tears are the same..._

_When they're trying to grow something good out of all the pain._

"It's okay to cry," she said when they had broken away for air, "There's no shame."

She embraced him once more, her arms cradling his broken form.

_When the rain falls,_

_It's like heaven's crying_

_When the name's all the difference that there is..._

"We're the same, Kakashi-kun," she whispered one last time, "The only difference is our name."

_Cause tears are the same _

_When they're trying to grow something good out of all the pain._

He said nothing, but instead returned her embrace, he too cradling her fragile body in his arms. They exchanged no more words, only embracing each other for comfort and for warmth. But they knew, they _knew, _that the rain would be the only time they would be able to cry.

But they would always be there for each other...

It was their unspoken promise and secret of a lifetime.

_There's no difference_

_Between the teardrops and the rain._

-

-

**A/N: **I feel depressed XD

Anyway, I hope you liked this one.

I really want to make a Rin/Kakashi fic...I like writing about their team. Ahaha.

Anyway, thanks for reading!


	15. Chance

I hate being the second pick.

I hate living in a shadow.

I hate living a lie.

_I hate being so alone._

-

-

**Intertwined**  
_Chance_  
**Disclaimer:**Don't own Naruto. Random drabble.

-

-

"See, Sasuke? You must act like your brother does; you must finish what your brother started."

_I'm not a puppet._

"You must accomplish what he could not."

_I'm not the same._

"You must surpass Itachi. That is when you will be my true son; this is your test."

_I'm not Itachi._

So, like all cowards, I _ran._

-

****

-

"Watch where you're going!"

I found myself looking into these shining emerald orbs, a mess of pink scattered about me. I was in a faraway land, months away from my old home. Here, I knew for sure nobody would be able to recognize me as_ the _Prince Sasuke of the ever-powerful Fire Kingdom. Here, I was _free._

In fact, I was so caught up in my freedom that I failed to realize that I was walking straight into someone – a girl, no less. So we were both in a compromising position at the moment, but after I was sure she wasn't like any other girl in my kingdom, I got up.

"Hn. Speak for yourself."

The girl frowned, getting up and dusting herself off. By the looks of it, she was like any other commoner. She held nothing of value, nothing worth stealing. But she seemed unfazed by it; she was a pleasant peasant, and let off a happy-go-lucky flair.

"Sorry, anyway," she mumbled, "I guess I shouldn't blame you."

She offered me an innocent smile (one that I knew none of my fan girls to _ever _possess, because in truth, they were all fakes), gave a polite bow, and went back on her merry way.

I continued to stare as she retreated farther and farther away into the distance, her pink hair swirling about her as the breezes twirled the locks.

_She didn't swoon._

I smirked.

-

****

-

"Well, _you _again."

I looked up and was met with the same emerald eyes that I found the first day I stepped into the Land of Spring.

I was in the library, trying to find current articles from Fire Kingdom. I was curious; I wanted to see how my father was faring as an aging man ruling over a restless kingdom.

"Where do you come from, anyway? I could swear I knew you from somewhere," she muttered.

I eyed her closely.

Oddly enough, she seemed ...

..._familiar._

-

****

**-**

"Do you believe in reincarnations?"

I turned to my side and found the girl there once more.

It was scary; everywhere I went, she too, appeared. But I knew she wasn't a stalker or some crazy fan girl; she was just as surprised when we ran into uncanny meetings.

"It's a chance."

Over the course of months, we had grown to have tiny conversations before parting ways. It was a habit; never was there moments of silence between us.

Our conversations – they were never forced or strained.

They were random.

Not conversations of a prince.

"Ah. Everything in life is a chance."

She turned to me and smiled.

"A chance that _you _became prince, while I became peasant; chance that I remember things that have gone by for centuries; chance that our roles have been undeniably switched..."

"_You knew?_"

She turned away again, this time her eyes glazed over, her lips formed between a frown and a smile.

"Yes," she mumbled, "But don't ask how. Because I just _know._ I just know that _I'm _Haruno Sakura, and _you're _Prince Sasuke. _Uchiha _Sasuke."

"You're not bothered by it? Not bothered that_ you _became a peasant?"

At this her lips curved upwards.

"You were always happy as one."

-

****

-

"_What _the hell?"

I looked at the fearful eyes of my father, the Sharingan present instead of his obsidian orbs. I never knew he'd find me here; I've already been gone for two years.

"What the hell are you doing, Sasuke? For all these years I thought you were _dead! Think, _I could have had a whole kingdom off my hands! You had the chance to prove yourself-"

"Stop."

We both turned around and found Sakura standing at the doorway to my inn room, her fists tightly clenched. Something was wrong; I could _sense _it. Her emerald eyes were glistening with unshed tears, and oddly enough, it _hurt. _

"Fugaku-sama, Sasuke's not a doll you can cast into the dark when you're done," she calmly said, standing beside me.

Over the past two years, we became the best of friends.

She didn't treat me like a prince.

She treated me like a human being.

"A _peasant _dare say that to me?"

She smiled.

"We're all the same. You were given no mandate from the Gods, no privileges because of your blood. It was just_ chance your _ancestors were royal, and _my _ancestors were common. It is chance and nothing more."

"Let me wipe that -"

"Father, _stop._"

Everyone turned to me surprised. Even I was surprised.

"Sasuke?"

"I'll go back and rule. Just don't touch her."

Sakura's eyes widened while my father smirked.

I always had a weak spot for women who were like my mother.

"Goodbye, Sakura."

I offered her a tiny, genuine smile.

"Never say goodbye, Sasuke," she muttered, "because goodbye means going away -" (1)

"-And going away means forgetting. Gomen." (1)

(_I don't even know how the hell I could finish that quote_.)

I smiled once more, and left with my father.

Almost, _almost, _I could hear her sobs.

It was chance that we met each other.

Chance that we became friends.

Chance that my father found me.

Chance that I had to leave.

But it was chance that she was the light at the end of the tunnel, bringing me out of life's lie.

_Chance that we'll meet again..._

_...Even though, deep down, I know we will._

-

****

-

**A/N: **I don't know where to go with this one. I really like the story line.  
It's really messy and quick around the edges, because it came up while I was writing a paper for one of my classes ... random.  
So I might re-do this one or in the FUTURE make a storyline about it ... Don't know. XD

(1) – Quote from Peter Pan. :D


	16. Eternally

"_We'll meet again, right?"_

"_...-hime, I'm eternally yours."_

"_...-kun. For now?"_

"_No, forever."_

"_...-kun –"_

"_...-hime, I love you."_

"_!"_

-

-

**Eternally**  
_BokchoiBaboy_

**Disclaimer:**Don't own Naruto.

_Prologue – _Journey

-

-

It was that annoying dream again. Every time I would drift off to sleep, the very same scene replays in my head over and over. I hear the voices clearly, as if they were spoken just a few minutes ago; one was a soothing baritone, somewhat resembling Itachi's voice, while the other voice was sweet and gentle, clear and sophisticated. I could see two faces, but I couldn't see their eyes, their noses, their mouths, _nothing._I just saw the shape of their face shadowed in by black. I saw the outlines of their clothes and bodies; the person who spoke the sweet and gentle voice wore extravagant kimono that ruffled and flowed, as if they were antique and of the past; the person who spoke like Itachi wore normal clothes of no significance.

It was almost as if that dream was trying to tell me something, or try to make me remember something of my distant past.

I was never one to believe in superstition, past lives, or any of those religious, karma beliefs.

But this time, _could it really be?_

-

****

-

Uchiha Sasuke looked out of the windows of his castle windows, the early morning sunlight penetrating through the thick walls and seeping into the room. His fingers idly tapped the windowsill, his mind lost in thought. The cold breezes of early autumn passed through his windows and flew around the room, sending shivers down his spine; but still, the Uchiha remained unfazed.

"Teme."

Sasuke's train of thought was broken when he turned and found his best friend, Uzumaki Naruto. The two had known each other since the early days of childhood, Naruto orphaned as a baby, his origins and parents unknown. All that had been left with the infant Uzumaki was a short note, which simply read: _"A dear thanks to the Uchiha for taking in our son, Uzumaki Naruto."_Uchiha Mikoto, or more formally, Mikoto-sama (Queen Mikoto), had openly taken in the child, raising him as her own. Her husband, the ever-harsh and rational Uchiha Fugaku (King Fugaku), was more skeptical about taking in an orphan, but after he had connected dots and lines, he, too, raised the Uzumaki as his own.

It was not a surprise when the two children began a never-ending rivalry between themselves, both competing for the better graces from their parents, who loved them both equally. It was more obvious the annoyance the two received when the other had won, but it was evident that the two were close, sharing an unbreakable bond of brothers.

"Dobe."

The blond smiled and took a seat on Sasuke's bed, his cerulean eyes seeming to bring life into the bland room of the prince.

It was a hard world for the Uzumaki, being noticeably, _contrastingly_ different from the Royal Family. It was a battle that Sasuke had no control over, and a battle that Naruto was destined to lose. He would never,_ever_ be able to be prince, only because of the radical fanatics present in the ever-restless Kingdom of Fire; if an _orphan _was able to make prince, why couldn't the commoners? Had Naruto been given a title reserved only for the Royal Family, it would guarantee a bloody coup d'etat and complete chaos.

But Naruto was strong, in physical strength, but more so spirit, willpower, _courage._ It was evident to everyone that though Naruto would never be able to be crowned Prince of the Kingdom of Fire, he was happy with the thought of being by his best friend's – his _brother's_– side, be it only as a most trusted advisor and guardian (but Naruto was not stupid; Sasuke didn't need protection, as he could fend for himself notably well).

"Can you believe Itachi's getting crowned King?"

Naruto looked at Sasuke with a look of unfazed innocence, his cerulean pools seeming to crash against the black outlines of his irises. Sasuke remained silent, Naruto's knowledge of Sasuke's envy for their elder brother far too well and complete for the Uchiha to say anything more.

Though Naruto held envy for Sasuke for having a _real _family – not an _adopted_ one – his envy was of a different degree than Sasuke's was for Itachi. Living with the Royal Family, and being _part_ of it without the honored title, Naruto saw firsthand the sole purposes for Sasuke's driving envy for his older brother.

Uchiha Itachi was a child prodigy, born a genius fighter. He is never one step behind and always a hundred steps ahead, each one of his moves accurately planned – _foolproof._ However, his remarkable talent in fighting remained only in that field, and was not taken to the throne. He was raised that it was kill or be killed; that life was the survival of the fittest and the weak would always die. He was raised to believe that peasants were the weak doomed to die, while he was born lucky fit and able to survive in the harsh world of LIFE. Come it to politics, government, or just the social welfare of the people, Uchiha Itachi was helpless.

And he was not so pompous and egotistical to pretend he was. He was smart, painfully honest, and never strayed from the truth.

"I am not fit to be king," he once told Sasuke and Naruto during a friendly spar, "Only to protect the king."

However, Fugaku refused to see the truth in this, insisting that Itachi succeed him and become king of one of the most powerful kingdoms in all the land. Fugaku had always prized Itachi over Sasuke, perhaps unconsciously, and had a drive that plunged Sasuke into the world of shadows and following the footsteps of his elder brother.

"Hn."

The Uzumaki replied with a toothy grin.

"It's weird, huh? Having Tou-san refuse to see that Itachi doesn't –"

"_Dobe,"_Sasuke coarsely interrupted, "Tou-san sees what he sees."

"And you're going to let it happen?"

There was a tense silence between the two.

"Even Kaa-san sees it, Sasuke," the Uzumaki courageously continued, "That you're more fit to rule people."

"It doesn't matter if Kaa-san sees it," Sasuke bitterly replied, "Because what Tou-san says goes."

Silence reigned between the two rivals, best friends, and brothers.

There was more to be said, millions of words to be spoken, but they decided to leave it at that, knowing that no matter how many words they spoke and how many times they tried, Uchiha Fugaku would forever remain glued to Itachi's prowess.

-

****

-

"The sun doesn't seem to like waiting, hmm, Sasuke?"

Sasuke quickly got up from his spot in the forest and turned around, surprised to see his brother leaning against the same tree he had leaned upon moments earlier. Itachi smirked at him and looked up at the glowing sky, the first rays of sunlight beginning to penetrate through the cold forest air and the thick canopies. Sasuke looked at his brother skeptically, eyeing him with disbelief.

Itachi never went out of his way to speak with Sasuke, _never._ His schedule, being busier than ever with coronation festivals and celebrations and whatnot, _forbade _Itachi to ever get a sniff of his personal life. Though Sasuke knew that Itachi sympathized for their father's unfairness, he also knew that Itachi somehow liked to feel such power.

"What were you doing out here at cursed hours of the morning? Don't tell me you've turned insomniac?"

Sasuke grumbled upon inspection by his elder brother, and Itachi merely chuckled.

"I'm turning eighteen soon."

Sasuke's eyebrow rose with puzzlement.

"I'm aware," he slowly said.

Itachi chuckled once more and turned to face his brother.

"Sasuke, I'm running."

It took Sasuke a few moments to comprehend what his brother had just said, and was _flabbergasted._

"_What? _Itachi, a – are you _crazy?_"

Itachi smiled.

"Perhaps I am. But, as I've told you and Naruto many times, kingship is not the path for me."

Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. His eyes were wide with surprise, his brain trying to comprehend and translate the _insanity_ his brother was speaking.

"I'm sure Naruto's already told you," Itachi continued, "That we all see you more fit to rule this kingdom. You're more socially involved. Every time Tou-san wants to kill a peasant, surprisingly, you _stop _him. You don't use hierarchy or titles to your advantage. In your world, Sasuke, everyone is equal. It's ideal, it's unique, it's_ modest._ It's never a matter of peasants are filthy, so let them die in filth, or nobles are royal, so let them be rich and important. It's always_ justice_ with you. If a noble stole one of our heirlooms, and a peasant was accused, you would do everything in your power to make sure that the _right_ person is hung. It's almost like – like, you _know_, so painfully accurately _know,_what it's like to be a peasant."

Every reason Itachi spoke Sasuke winced. There was truth, and he could deny it no longer.

It killed him when his father wrongfully accused a peasant of a crime the peasant did not commit; it killed him when peasants were seen filthy but received no help to make them clean and proper. Sasuke did not care one bit about whose blood was royal and whose blood was filth; all he cared about was bringing justice to his kingdom to make life equally easier and more peaceful for his subjects.

"...Well, I guess you beat me to it, Itachi."

The two brothers turned and were met with Naruto's trademark grin, his hands shoved into his pockets. Itachi offered his younger brother a smile, which Naruto returned fully.

"Naruto," Itachi politely greeted.

"Itachi," Naruto politely replied.

The two turned and faced Sasuke, who was lost in himself, trying to find answers.

"Sasuke, I am doing it tonight. Do not tell the curious soul what I will do or what I have done. I'll be around, watching you, _foolish little brother._"

With that, Itachi smiled at them both and disappeared in a flash. Naruto's eyebrow rose with curiosity, but decided to leave it at that, knowing a secret was a secret and it would unfold itself when the time came. Sasuke inhaled, smelling the unique scent of sweat, blood, and a hint of spice where his brother had stood, filling his lungs with the smell for what seemed like the last time.

-

****

-

"Can someone tell me what my _son_ was_ thinking_?"

Multiple pairs of onyx eyes fearfully stared up at their king, not used to seeing the raging tempests of blood taking place within his eyes. There was an empty seat to the left of Mikoto, where Itachi would have sat, had he been there. Naruto cast a sideways glance, which Sasuke caught.

"Where the _hell _is Itachi? Mikoto? Sasuke? Naruto?"

The king was met with silence and he sat down on his cushion, exasperated and stressed to no end. He held his head in his hands as he sat there in silence, thinking about the next possible solution to solve the problem.

Sasuke stared at his father detachedly, fighting an inner struggle whether or not to tell him. Mikoto cast her youngest son a knowing glance, her motherly premonitions nearly screaming at her the reasons why her eldest son had disappeared. Naruto looked at Sasuke, knowing that he knew something that nobody else did, but decided to remain silent and badger the truth about it later.

The Kingdom of Fire's Royal Council sat in the room, quietly thinking of solutions of hiding the disappearance from the general public until a plausible excuse for Itachi's succession failing could be made. Many looked at their king apathetically, most already used to the tragic flaws of being one of the most powerful kingdoms in the land. Though they were a strong kingdom militarily and politically, their economic and social systems were weakening, crime rates increasing rapidly with the coming of chaos and restlessness.

They were ready for a new king. The peasants were ready for change.

"Fugaku," Mikoto quietly began, "Perhaps we have been overlooking Itachi's unhappiness for far too long?"

"_Unhappiness_? What _unhappiness_ would Itachi feel?! He had everything, Mikoto, _everything!_"

Mikoto looked to her husband sadly, her eyes looking down upon her two hands, which were clenched together in attempts to keep herself from crying. The queen was a strong woman, having dealt with four, hot-tempered men all her life; never once did she succumb to the gender bias present in her kingdom.

"Perhaps Itachi did not want everything?"

Her husband turned to her, the three tomoe swirling rapidly in fits of anger and rage. Mikoto was unfazed and stared at him with the same intensity, her lips pursed in an uncharacteristic frown. Her eyes flared with anger, rage, _sadness,_sorrow, and she could do nothing for her eldest son.

"That's ridiculous, Mikoto! FATE! He had FATE on his side! And he throws it all away to change the perfect destiny!"

"He is not you, Fugaku! You seem to forget that, when you want power, when you want fame, when you want _fear! _He is his own person, and if he desires to change the 'perfect' destiny, then let it be so! Let him disappear, let him run, let him_live!_I fear, Fugaku, that though Itachi is the epitome of a warrior – a fighter – he is _not_ the epitome of a king."

Sasuke and Naruto looked at both their parents with worry, Mikoto's outbursts of rage and wisdom rare and hardly ever seen. They both disliked the look of extreme dislike emitted from their father, but were both able to thank the gods above that their mother was a strong woman.

"Tou-san," Naruto coarsely began, "I know someone else fit for the job."

All eyes wandered to the Uzumaki, looking at him curiously. Mikoto's gentle expression returned to her face, a soft smile present on her lips.

"And pray tell, Naruto, _who_?"

Sasuke threw Naruto a glance, daring him to let the name slip across his lips.

"Sasuke."

-

****

**-**

"Naruto, what the _hell_ were you thinking?"

Sasuke glared at his brother in utter rage. He knew that Naruto knew more than anyone else how much Sasuke was not _ready_to be king. He was fourteen years old, for crying out loud!

"Didn't you see Kaa-san's face? And Tou-san's? Tou-san is obviously going to think it over now."

The Uzumaki's lips moved into his characteristic grin. Sasuke sat down on his bed, holding his head in his hands, much like his father had done, and began to think.

He was not ready to be king. He was _not._ And he felt that, even though what everyone said about his instincts for justice were true, he would never be ready.

"You know where Itachi is, don't you?"

Sasuke's eyes became the horrific red, three tomoe swirling dangerously around the red irises. His lips twitched in the Uchiha's last attempts to control his rage, already a storm swirling around through his blood, tempting him to punch the walls down. The Uzumaki was unfazed by Sasuke's temper, already having dealt with it for more fourteen years, and took lay down on his brother's bed, cerulean pools staring up at the blank ceiling.

"I'm not asking you where he went or why he ran. I was just wondering," Naruto nonchalantly added.

_Do not tell the curious soul..._

"He ran away. He didn't want the kingdom."

Silence once again reigned between the two brothers.

"That's believable. So what are you going to do now? I think Tou-san's going to let you succeed once you turn eighteen."

"That's four years."

Naruto turned to his side and looked at his brother's back, the Uchiha's robe twirling as the gentle breezes came through his window. He saw his brother's naturally spiked hair, and his brother's face of concentration.

"Say, I have an idea."

Sasuke turned to face Naruto's cerulean orbs, the Uchiha's eyebrow rising with curiosity.

"Why don't you go around through the villages and familiarize yourself? Maybe they'll like you and riot for you to be king."

There was more silence.

"I can come with you, just to 'protect you'."

The Uzumaki grinned when he saw Sasuke's lips curve upwards into his characteristic smirk.

"You're sick of this castle as much as I am, aren't you?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto chuckled.

"Yep."

-

****

-

"So, Tou-san, I would like to propose that I go around through the villages in the kingdom, for the next four years, to familiarize myself with the nobles, commoners, and peasants alike."

The Royal Council once again silently sat beside the Royal Family, each member contemplating the safety of their prince and the cunning of his plan. Mikoto looked at her son, almost skeptically, as if she knew what the two had planned. Connecting the lines, she could assume that Sasuke, too, did not want to succeed the throne. Fugaku looked at his son, almost with amusement, and laughed.

"_You?_ Who said I was giving you the throne, boy?"

Naruto fought back an urge to growl.

"Fugaku, I would appreciate it if you call our son by his proper name," Mikoto harshly interjected.

"You're not Itachi, Sasuke."

Sasuke frowned.

"But I will compromise with you."

All pairs of eyes looked at the king.

"If you can accomplish what your brother could not, you will be the new king."

_I'm not your damn puppet! _

"Tou-san," Naruto angrily replied, "I'm going with Sasuke."

Fugaku shrugged.

"Do what you will, Naruto."

Sasuke bit his lip in irritation and anger, fighting all his urges to let him show his anger through his concealed red eyes. Mikoto cast her son a sympathetic glance, her eyes dull with sorrow and despair.

Everyone knew that once Itachi had run away, the king had changed.

There was silence for long moments, each member inside the room waiting to be dismissed, the room too tense with family struggles and hatred.

"So, Sasuke? When your hourglass of four years is emptied, I will come to search for you. If I do not deem your worthy, you can stay out on the countryside and live your own life."

Mikoto glared at her husband.

"Hai, Tou-san."

Naruto smirked and mocked their father, teasing him with his eyes. Naruto knew more than anyone that Sasuke did not lose a fight. Ever.

-

****

-

"_Oh, _Sasuke-kun! Naruto-kun!"

Mikoto stood before them as they prepared to depart. No tears were in her eyes as she was ready to release her sons from the protective hold from the castle walls, and she hugged them both, not wanting to let go. Though she feared for their safety, she knew that they could fend for themselves even better than Itachi if they stuck together through the long journeys ahead of them.

"Be sure to write, yes? Oh, I'll miss you two so!"

The two gave their mother their best genuine smiles, and her eyes lit up with happiness.

"Farewell, my sons! I shall see you when you are both eighteen, both grown and ripe in age! Oh, please bring back a wife, both of you? I'd like to see grandchildren!"

They both sweatdropped, and graced their mother with one last hug. When she had finally released them, tears began to flow from her eyes as they gave her one last bow.

"Work hard, Sasuke!"

Naruto and Sasuke turned to face their father, and both nodded and bowed politely.

"Until then, Tou-san," they both said.

Throwing their mother one last smile, they walked out through the castle gates, ready for the new life that lay ahead of them.

-

****

-

"Will you _watch _where you're going?"

Sasuke glared when he found himself on the ground over a girl, their position too compromising for his liking (he was all too glad that Naruto was off looking for a ramen stand). He found his nostrils filled with the scent of cherry blossoms, his vision filled with messy pink locks.

"Speak for yourself," The Uchiha coolly replied.

His eyebrow rose with curiosity, but got off the girl nonetheless. The girl, in turn, got off and dusted herself off, mumbling about 'nobles and manners'. Her clothes were old and those of a peasant's, Sasuke noticed as he closely watched her, and she wore nothing else of extreme value. He noticed that she was unbelievably clean (much to his liking), and that her body was toned with muscles from the hard life of a peasant.

"Anyway," she said, looking into his orbs with her emerald irises, "Sorry. I guess I'm to blame too."

She offered him a smile of innocence, gave a polite bow, and went back on her merry way. Sasuke continued to watch her, her pink locks twirling as the breezes passed them by.

There was something about her that irked him, almost like a familiarity.

"Whoa, that girl's pretty," he heard Naruto say as the Uzumaki stood by his side, returning from his scavenging, "Do you know her?"

"No, dobe."

Naruto smiled.

"This place is really far. Why'd we go here first?"

"So it takes Tou-san longer to find us. He'll think we'd stay close, because I believe he has the impression I want the throne."

"That's cool," The Uzumaki replied, "So that means we're staying here for four years? Maybe Tou-san's guard will pass by here."

"Dobe," Sasuke said, smirking, "This isn't_ part _of our kingdom."

"_What the hell, Sasuke?!_"

"And besides," Sasuke continued, walking towards the closest inn, "I thought you hated the castle life. You can always go back after four years is done."

Naruto nodded.

"So, who _was _that girl?"

There were long moments of silence, Sasuke contemplating the answer.

He could swear he knew her from somewhere, he could _swear! _

"...I don't know, dobe."

The breezes brought the scent of cherry blossoms from somewhere in the distance, and Sasuke inhaled the intoxicating scent.

_Who are you? _

-

****

**-**

**A/N: **Hey, I know this is really long. I guess you can call this a teaser, so I'm just sticking it in here for now.  
I think I'm going to replace this storyline with 'Chance', though they're going to be pretty much the same.  
So, enjoy this for now!  
(To make this a story, or not, that is the question!)


	17. Christmas Wish

_My ideal Christmas: Spending it with the one I love. _

_(One without Father's expectations, Neji-nii-san's overprotective nature, without Tenten, Ino, and Sakura's giggles and plots.)_

-

-

**Intertwined**  
_ Christmas Wish_

**Disclaimer:**Don't own Naruto

-

-

"So, Hinata, what's your Christmas wish?"

Three pairs of eyes eyed the Hyuuga Hinata curiously, their orbs shining with interest. Hinata blushed under the pressure and began to fiddle with her thumbs, a nervous habit she had yet to succeed in breaking.

"I – I j-just -"

"Hinata-sama, didn't Hiashi-sama make it clear he wanted you to stay in today?"

Hinata turned and found the piercing eyes of her older cousin, Neji, glancing at her with interest. He knew for a fact that though Hinata was quite rebellious (if that was much of a surprise), she was never rebellious enough to go against her father's wish of her to stay inside.

Living with his uncle, Hinata's father, Neji had noticed that though Hiashi was quite a piece of steel and ice, he did indeed love his children with all his heart, and was very, _very_overprotective. The Hyuuga prodigy liked to quote the dinner on the previous night, Christmas Eve:

"_Hinata, Hanabi, you are to _stay inside! _Christmas is a time of fanatics racing through every store..." _

"_Tou-san! But my friends were going to –"_

"_T-Tou-s-san, S-Sakura, I-Ino and T-Tenten were –"_

"_ENOUGH! If I hear a word about you two being outside, or if I see you outside..."_

_The two girls shrunk under their father's harsh glare._

"_H-hai Tou-san," they answered in unison._

It was quite a hard life for Hinata, being heiress to one of the largest companies in all of Japan: Hyuuga Architectural Industry. Though there was promise in her elder cousin in the architectural world, her skills lay in cooking. She was a wonderful chef, known to make the best cookies and, surprisingly, ramen. But her love for her father was far too great for the ambitions of her dreams, and so she remained in the architectural world, planning designs for the most prestigious buildings alongside her father and cousin.

"Oh please, Neji," Tenten said, eyeing her boyfriend, "Let Hinata have some of her fun."

Neji competitively glared at his girlfriend, taking a seat next to her and mumbling about 'Hinata's happiness' and 'Hiashi's crazy temper'. She offered him a smile and took a sip of her hot coffee, once again returning to curiously watching the heiress.

"I – I guess I better go home then," Hinata managed to say, "I don't want Tou-san angry on Christmas day."

"But Hinata –"

"Not everyone's –"

Hinata shook her head and got up from the table, offering all of them a shy smile. The clicking of her boots grew fainter and fainter until she was out of earshot, already walking out of the café door.

"I feel bad for that girl," Ino said, frowning as she watched Hinata walk towards the large Hyuuga manor.

"Seriously," Sakura continued, "It's got to suck having no freedom like that."

Tenten turned to face her boyfriend, her chestnut eyes looking at him curiously.

"She's not going home, is she?"

Neji looked at his girlfriend in turn, a smirk present on his lips.

"Hn. Depends."

"Say, where is Naruto, anyway?" Sakura asked, her finger tapping her chin in thought.

Tenten mischievously grinned.

"Probably mad because Ichiraku's isn't open today."

Ino and Sakura grinned. Neji glared at Tenten.

"Tenten, _hell _no."

Tenten shrugged and took another sip of her coffee, offering her boyfriend some.

"Oh please, the only reason you don't like him is because Hinata likes him."

Neji turned the coffee down and frowned.

"Hn."

-

****

-

"That stupid, mean old –"

Hinata was walking through the empty streets of Konoha, snow lightly falling towards the frozen dirt. She held her jacket tightly around her, the winter cold still penetrating through the thick fabric and making shivers go down her spine.

"Hey Hinata. Weren't we meeting at the –"

Hinata jumped at the sudden sound, her boots slipping on the frozen sidewalk.

"Hinata? _Hinata!" _

The voices became fainter and fainter as the seconds passed, until finally, everything faded into complete darkness.

-

****

-

"U – uhn..."

"Hinata!"

The Hyuuga heiress found herself surrounded by warmth, the walls around her a pleasant shade of orange. The couch she was laying on was comfortable, reminding her of her own home.

"Here, have some tea. I – Sorry, I shouldn't have scared you."

She shyly took the glass of tea offered to her, and took a sip, letting the warmth seep through her cold body. She smiled at the pleasant feeling of warmth rushing through her, and gently placed the cup in the table in front of her.

"So, anyway, I guess I won't be meeting the others at the café, huh?"

Finally, her eyes met with her savior. She found herself drowning in a pool of cerulean, the beautiful color of the sky on the most radiant day. She struggled to fight the blush forming on her cheeks, but to no avail. (It wasn't everyday when she was in_ the _Uzumaki Naruto's house – _alone _– who was, by the way, her crush of what, ten years?) Hinata shyly smiled and politely bowed in her seat.

"Th – Thank you f-for p – picking me u – up. Y – you can go m – meet them..."

_So, Hinata, what's your Christmas wish?_

She was surprised when the man in front of her shook his head politely and grinned the trademark grin of his, getting up from his place and walking into his kitchen.

"Hey, I can cook up some instant ramen, yeah? Ichiraku's isn't open today, so –"

Hinata quickly got up and walked into the kitchen.

"N – no! I'll cook you ramen, as a thank you gift."

The Uzumaki's eyes widened in surprise, and he shrugged, taking out two bowls and placing them beside her working space. Then he took a seat at his island counter, watching her intently.

"Well, shucks Hinata, thanks."

She smiled.

-

****

-

Naruto watched closely as she accurately measured each ingredient, so focused and concentrated on her work that the only thing that could snap her out of her world was his voice. He was surprised that she had even offered to cook for him in the first place, because he knew that she was shy and not outgoing.

It was a change of routine for him, and it made him feel excited. He didn't know what was going to happen – was Hinata going to blow up his house? Or would she make ramen even_better _than Ichiraku's?

The change of routine made his heart race, like he was on a racetrack and any second he could die or accelerate. It wasn't every Christmas that he had somebody over; he was used to spending the holiday morning with his best friends (Sakura, Sasuke...), and spending the dinner alone in his house, eating his instant ramen.

"H – here, it's finished."

She shyly smiled and placed his bowl of ramen before him. She then took the remaining noodles and placed them in her bowl, taking a seat next to him.

"Itadakimasu!" They both said in unison.

Hinata watched as Naruto took the first bite of his ramen, his eyes wandering to hers, a smile forming on his lips.

"Darn, Hinata, this is delicious!"

Hinata blushed and took a small bite out of her ramen, averting her gaze to anywhere but his beautiful eyes.

"Th – Thank you."

He smiled, and the two ate in a comfortable silence, both enjoying the presence of the other.

-

****

-

"Hinata-sama! Hiashi-sama's throwing a _fit!"_

Hinata bit her lip and silently stood on the other side of the door, her cousin's hard pounding beginning to loosen the hinges.

She didn't want to go; it was the best Christmas she's had in her life.

Just her, and Naruto, and _nobody _else!

It was – it was her Christmas wish, to spend it with _him _and _him only. _

"Hinata, I think Neji really wants you to go," Naruto said, standing next to his visitor.

In all honesty, he didn't want her to go. The change in his routine was too exciting, too unpredictable! He wanted the company, he wanted someone to talk to, and he wanted someone to_love _him. But he knew that if she stayed at his house any longer, she would be in deep trouble, and probably wouldn't be able to step out ever again; Naruto knew Hiashi well, almost too well for his liking.

"No. I don't want to go back home, yet," Hinata whispered.

"_Hinata-sama! _I don't know how else you want me to _cover _for you! Get the _he _–"

"_Neji! Just leave her be! Tell Hiashi she took a walk through the gardens, and forgot an order she placed! Please, just – just let her be free this one night." _

Hinata closed her eyes, silently thanking Tenten for the defense.

"Well, who knew Tenten would be able to make Neji die down like that," Naruto noted.

"_Hinata, take all the time you need, alright? So, what's your Christmas wish?" _

There was silence and mumbling, before, "_Haha. No need! Anyway, merry Christmas, Hinata. Consider this half of my present." _

Hinata released the breath she was unconsciously slid to the floor, thanking Tenten and the gods above for her good fortune. Naruto continued to watch her, noticing how her lips were parted just slightly, how her hair shone in the lamplight.

"Hinata, you're really pretty when you smile."

Hinata blushed and met with cerulean orbs once more, her lips formed in a rare, genuine smile.

"Thank you."

Naruto suddenly blushed and broke the intense gaze, his eyes wandering anywhere but the room.

_This is too unpredictable – I thought I – _

"What was that Christmas wish Tenten was talking about?" Naruto asked, trying to break the awkward feelings that were surfacing in his stomach and his heart.

Hinata giggled and looked up once more.

"It's okay. My wish is already –"

"Wait, I didn't ruin Christmas for you, did I? I'm sorry if I did."

Hinata frowned when she saw the change of mood in her favorite Uzumaki, and reached out.

_When was I ever this bold? _

She pulled him to her, their faces centimeters apart. She looked into his eyes and smiled, her arms around him in a friendly embrace.

"You didn't ruin Christmas," She whispered, "You fulfilled it."

His eyes widened, but they soon closed when he moved forward and closed the gap between their lips, savoring the taste of her ramen.

"Merry Christmas, Hinata," he whispered when they broke away.

She smiled.

"Merry Christmas."

Their fingers intertwined.

-

****

**-**

_If you want something, go after it. _

_If there are barbs holding you back, run through them and ignore the pain._

_If you have one person you want to be with in the end, forget the barbs and the limits!_

_If you want to be with them, there _are _no limits._

_Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!_

-

****

-

**A/N: **So, not my favorite. And it was sorta cheesy...but when do I ever not write cheesy...  
ANYWAY! I hope you enjoyed it, but it's not my favorite. XD  
AND WHOO! NARUHINA!  
I'll write a NaruHina oneshot, I promise!

(I've been thinking of this:

**Loving an Idiot: 411. **_God, I never knew loving Uzumaki Naruto was so freaking hard! Especially when he doesn't notice me, doesn't realize that I've liked him for basically all my life, and – oh my god, I'm in love with an idiot. _

Would that be too mean? Hahaha. Anyway, just let me know.)

Happy Holidays!


	18. Fairytale

**A/N: **Teaser / Plot test-type thing. I was thinking about making this into a full story, but, eh. XD  
Just let me know what you think.

Summary: I wish to live in a fairytale, where binding chains don't exist and titles don't matter. Where everything I want is right next to me, never behind the barrier's glass. (Uhm...any suggestions on how to ... er ... reword this? XD)  
NaruHina. (:

-

-

**Intertwined**  
_Fairytale_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

-

-

I doubt anybody could understand me, unless, of course, they're living the same life. I doubt that anyone could understand why exactly I think and feel the way I do, unless of course, they're given the same situations to hate.

I envy the common people, really, I do. Perhaps they are given the same expectations and the same chains as I, but I know for a fact that the degree of those expectations and the tightness of the chains are on a very, _very_different level.

I suppose you could call me a hopeless case, just a poor girl trapped in the middle of wars and marriages and dilemmas. But really, there's more to that. I may be the poor girl, getting suffocated by all the chains and expectations thrown upon me day by day, but I am also not so poor, literally speaking.

I'm a princess, heiress to a powerful kingdom with many enemies and allies. But in all reality, I am no princess at all.

My mother died many years ago, when my youngest sister had just turned five. After, our family was thrown into turmoil, my father completely losing grasp of his resolve and staying in silence for many months. My younger sister disappeared just a few months ago, too pained and confused to remain in the house that dwelled on my mother's scent. She told me that perhaps she would come back, if ever she could understand the confusion in her heart. Before her disappearance, she had told me that she would always support me, ever so closely but always so far away.

And it is here that I sit in front of my bedroom mirror, looking at myself quietly, just examining the features I was given from my mother and my father.

In my eyes, nobody could understand the turmoil taking place inside of me.

I am just Princess Hinata, successor to the Earth Kingdom...

...But I feel that there is so much more to everything, more to it than the title and the burdens.

I suppose I wish to live life, just easily with no burdens, somewhere in peace where the stars are always above me. I know I wish to see my younger sister again, both strong and true, with her sitting next to me as an advisor and as a sister.

But that is just a childish fantasy of mine, a _fairytale _where everything is so real but so impossible.

-

****

-

"...Hinata."

I jumped from my place in the gardens, my eyes widening at the familiar voice that I hadn't heard in more than a month's time. I turned and met with the pallid eyes of my father, his figure ever sophisticated and poised as I remembered him to be.

"Your mother is gone, and Hanabi left. At least, that is what Hizashi told me."

I watched him closely, watched as he took a seat on the bench next to me, his movements so flowing and elegant it was almost like he was ethereal, a ghost, _something,_just floating in the world.

"Hai, that's correct, Tou-san," I quietly whispered, "Mother sent you her regards, and Hanabi sends you her apologies."

Father looked at me, almost with an empty gaze, and he stood up, walking towards the castle with the same ethereal movements as before. It was almost as if he had _forgotten_everything that had happened, forgotten what Uncle Hizashi had told him through the door.

Or, perhaps, he just chose to ignore the facts that pained him the most.

-

****

-

I incredulously stared at my father, in disbelief and in amazement, as he sat before me in the dining hall, a new man with new poise. He began speaking of his new dreams, of building our once peaceful kingdom into that which one should fear, changing our age-old traditions to make our lands stronger and more defensive. I shot a glare at my grandmother, whom, ever since I could remember, would always try to rule the kingdom through my father, shooting her poisonous words down his ears, insulting him until he succumbed to her wishes.

"Hinata! And Hanabi! She is no longer an heiress, no longer a princess!"

It was here that I slammed my fist on the wooden table, my once gentle expression completely gone. My guardian and most treasured cousin, Hyuuga Neji, looked at me with surprise. Though there were never many words spoken between us and our personalities were complete opposites, we knew each other like the back of our hands, and shared the bond of siblings. He knew that outbursts such as what I was going through now were rare, only when I was angered to an extent that all my self-control and elegance were thrown out the window. But I knew that even he could not believe the words that were coming out of my father's mouth.

"Is she no longer your daughter? No longer the girl you raised for thirteen years?" I yelled.

My uncle – or more specifically, Neji's father – Hyuuga Hizashi also looked at my father, eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. He was my father's younger brother by a few seconds, them being twins. Hizashi held no grudges against me or my father, him being fine as the King's most trusted advisor, a title that he was proud of and wouldn't give for the world.

"Hiashi, are you _mad?_Have you been _listening_to yourself?" Hizashi asked.

"Hanabi is dead to me," my father darkly whispered, "She is worthless."

I was ready to rebuke him, tell him Hanabi was a strong girl who could fend for herself. I wanted to slap my father, leave a red mark on his cheek and on his heart, for letting my grandmother's poison seep into his body. My younger sister was stronger than anyone could ever think, being able to think for herself and live the life she wanted even with the binding chains.

"H – how could you? I thought you loved, Hanabi! I thought you wanted Mother's name to live on –"

"Hinata," he sharply interjected, "Hanabi is dead to me, and so is your mother."

I sat back on my seat, too paralyzed by the change in my father, and continued to stare at him. Neji cast me a comforting glance, but remained by my side, as was his job and obligation to do so. His father stared at my father with the same incredulous look present on my eyes.

"How could you have given in to our stepmother's _poison,_Hiashi? You loved Haru more than you loved anything in the world! And now, just because she is watching above us in the heavens, you no longer defend yourself from Noriko's poison?"

Tears began to well in my eyes when I heard my father break the thin ice with his harsh words.

"I once loved Haru and Hanabi, but they both have left me."

His words were so icy cold, so blinded by my grandmother's dark desires.

Every second I lived brought my world crashing down before me, the memories, the people, the love, the pain all enshrouding me and suffocating me with the mixed scent.

-

****

-

I dearly wished that fairytales were not just childish fantasies of true love, happiness, and completion. I wished that they were a truth of this world, where everybody could live their ideal fairytale with no binding chains.

Ah, but of course.

Such fairytales are just fabricated realities, ways to escape the harsh truth of the real world going on around us.

But still...

...I wished I could live such a world, even with my binding chains.

I have had enough of turmoil and chaos, broken hearts and broken glass.

-

****

-

**A/N:**So, there you go! Just a random brainstorm, random plot...  
Anyway, so yeah.  
Hope you enjoyed it.


	19. Fairytale pt 2

-

-

**Intertwined**  
_Fairytale – Part 2_

**Disclaimer:**Don't own Naruto

-

-

It never really occurred to me why my life turned out the way it did, nor did I ever stop to think about the consequences about what I do or what I've done. I just know that I live life the way I want to live life, not the way any royalty or nobility want me to. I may not be of 'royal' or 'noble' blood, or whatever those higher class people call it nowadays, but I still _am _my own person.

I still _am _Uzumaki Naruto, just any regular countryside man. I work hard for my food, work hard to keep up my roof and the walls of my home. People think I'm stupid, especially those 'nobles' – or _whatever _those snobs call themselves – just because I'm a farmer without the right blood running through me. I may not be the brightest apple out of the bunch, but I still shine in my own way, no matter how the sunlight hits me.

Though I'm not known for my brightness, I am known for my prowess. Since I was left orphaned since I could remember, I remember living the hardest life any old five-year-old would hope never to live. I survived by stealing bread, pick pocketing off the rich, doing the dirty works of cowards, until I was old enough to get a job and own my own home. Because of that hard life of fending for myself and running away, I'm known for my speed, especially in fighting. I suppose fencing's somewhat of my passion, just a kill-do when all the chores around my house are done. Half of the money I earn is probably off of winning fights off the 'high and mighty'.

But still, even though I'm living a happy life through the countryside, it always seems that I lack purpose. Everyday I see those snobs walking by my farm, I can't help to wonder what life is like for them, being it all easy, all their work thrown down onto their butlers and maids. I've never had a father or mother figure, telling me what to do and what not to do, leaving me a lost little bud in a world of gunfire and smoke.

I can't seem to find anything to live for, find anything I'd die for. To me, my life just seems like I could throw it all away, and still not have anything change. I've lived the street life, lived the farm life.

But I lack _purpose._

"_Naruto-kun? Can you hear me?"_

"_- I know you're being cute and all, but honestly –"_

"_Oh shut up! Don't think I don't hear you talking to Naruto-kun, hmm?" _

"_Oh whatever."_

"_Anyway – Naruto-kun. If, if ever, we are not here in the long run for you, Naruto-kun, always know that we are watching. You are to be a hero, someone to be revered and someone to envy. Though you may not see it through your life's path, watch it unfold! Find something to live for, Naruto-kun, and live life how you dare to live it."_

Those voices I always hear when I wander to the thoughts of not having anything to live for – they always give me courage, _hope._

They always give me hope that some miracle's going to come along, and I'll just find something to live for.

I know stuff like that doesn't happen, but a man can dream, right?

I'm only eighteen, and as girly as this sounds, I still have time to live through any old perfect fairytale.

-

****

-

"Hn. I don't see why you hang around here. It's shameless how you do this for _money._"

I turned and saw my rival, Uchiha Sasuke, take a seat next to me, his sword hanging by his side like I've always seen it to. He was probably one of the nobles I would ever befriend, him not caring what blood ran through anyone's veins; all he cared about was if a person could put up a good fight against his sword.

Uchiha Sasuke was a royal guard of local Princess Hinata, his skills in fencing unmatched in fierce battle. Many times he's hinted that the princess was always recruiting for guards as good as he, her guard only being less than ten men (he also told me that there were two women part of the guard – _amazing!_). I never dared to take the stand, not knowing the values of Princess Hinata enough to pledge my loyalty to her.

"Not all of us were born into a rich family, eh?"

He smirked at this and shrugged.

"I'd give you money if the ratty old Council didn't keep checks about our treasury."

I smiled. Even though the Uchiha were known for their arrogance and coldness towards others, Sasuke really was a different one of the bunch. He was kind once you proved yourself to be a friend he could trust with his life, and would do anything to protect you if your life was in danger.

"You know," he said, eyeing me carefully, "Hinata-hime's going to be holding a festival. Maybe you should come."

My eyebrow rose in surprise as he continued.

"She's still looking for guard. Hn, Hinata-hime really does love company, with Hiashi-sama being overprotective and insane."

"Makes us commoners feel better about having an insane king," I snorted.

He once again smirked and leaned back in his chair, watching me with his hawk eyes. He wasn't a captain of the powerful royal guard for nothing.

"Hinata-hime's rumored to succeed the throne, once she gets married. Hiashi-sama's probably going to arrange her marriage. She'd make a fine ruler, Hinata-hime would. She's rational enough to hear the peasants' pleas for help. I think we'll all be glad that Noriko woman will have no power over Hinata-hime."

"Noriko?"

Sasuke paused for a moment before continuing, taking out his sword and shining it in the candlelight.

"Hiashi-sama's stepmother. She's an evil woman. Poisonous, really."

There was a long silence between us before he got back on his feet and stood from his seat. I watched him carefully; the flicker in his eyes something I haven't seen in the years I've known him.

"Come to the festival. It might do you some good."

-

****

-

I stepped into a new world when I arrived at the festival, a new world of shining lights and armor and swords. Around me was the hustle-bustle of the nobles, their snobby speech filling my ears. There were stands everywhere, boasting games and prizes. It was an interesting spectacle, stepping into the royal world.

I felt out of place, in my common attire with my sword at my side. It was unusual, compared to the elegant robes of those around me.

"Naruto."

I turned and found Sasuke and the rest of the guard, all looking at me intently. There were of nine them, all peculiar in their own way. There was a boy with pineapple shaped hair, his face boasting of lazy nature. Next to him was a slim, pale girl, her blonde hair let loose. Next to her was a beautiful girl, one who boasted of lean figure and unusual pink hair. There was a girl with two buns atop her head, a large scroll around her back. There was a peculiar-looking man, with a bowl-shaped haircut and eyes I haven't seen before. There was a wild looking man, unusual red marks on his cheeks, holding a dog in his arms. There was a man with pallid eyes, his figure sophisticated and poised. And then there was Sasuke, standing a step ahead of them all.

"Uchiha, don't tell me you invited a commoner on these grounds," said the man with the pallid eyes.

"Oh shut up, Neji. Most of us used to be like that, if you cared to remember," retorted the girl with the two buns atop her head.

I smiled.

"Well, thanks."

She returned the smile, and took a step closer to me, examining me closely.

"Sasuke-kun," the girl with the pink hair came forward, also examining me closely, "Is this the person you've been talking about?"

"Hn. Yeah."

Her lips formed an 'oh', and she nodded in approval. She had the most dashing smile and stunning emerald eyes. It was almost like I was looking into the goddess of Spring before me, in all ethereal beauty.

"Well," she said, taking a step back, "Let me formally introduce Hinata-hime's royal guard. I'm Haruno Sakura. That's Tenten (she pointed to the girl with the buns), Hyuuga Neji (the pallid eyes), Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru (the wild looking man and the dog), Rock Lee (the one with unusual eyes), Nara Shikamaru (pineapple-head), Yamanaka Ino (the blonde), and of course, Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke and Neji are captains of our guard, Shikamaru is the strategist, Ino is our number one interrogator and spy, Kiba, Neji, Lee, and Sasuke are all our front-chargers, I'm the medic and forward, along with Tenten, our treasured weapons mistress."

She smiled, and all of them formally bowed.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"So, Naruto," Sakura said, putting a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and leaning on him, "Sasuke's told me all about you. Care to demonstrate in a match over there?"

I smiled along with the others.

"Sure."

-

****

-

"Sakura, this was _your_idea, why don't _you_spar with him?" Sasuke muttered, unsheathing his sword.

Sakura smiled and stood by the others, all intently watching how the battle between the two of us would unfold.

"Oh please, Sasuke. You obviously know his tactics. It'd be no fun not seeing him full, huh?"

Sasuke sighed, and I smiled.

I unsheathed my sword, and charged for my rival, both of us with the same intent in our eyes: _win._

-

****

-

"Well,_ shoot! _That was a freaking awesome battle if you ask me," Ino said, eyes widened when Sasuke and I had finally reached a draw.

"I agree. Naruto, I'm sure Sasuke's asked you to join the guard?" Sakura asked.

"We could use someone with your skills, definitely," Tenten added.

I smiled and ruffled my hair in embarrassment, not used to the attention and the compliments. I was surprised when Neji stepped forward and offered me a uniform, his eyes looking at me expectantly, urging me to take it.

"Hinata-sama could use one more guard," he said.

They all looked at me expectantly, and slowly, I took the uniform into my hands, my eyes widening at a new life unfolding before me.

"I'll accept," I said, when the thrill of unfolding paths subsided, "If I get to meet Hinata-hime. I can't pledge my loyalty to someone I haven't even met."

There was silence, and all eyes turned to Neji. I supposed he was related to her, and most likely her personal guardian, due to his sophisticated nature and power over the others.

"...For only this once."

-

****

-

I waited in the gardens, taking in the ethereal surroundings around me. It was all so beautiful, with the blinding festival lights and the sound of flowing water coming around me. I was in the uniform I had accepted earlier, all nine of them urging me to wear it, as they all promised that I would pledge my loyalty to Hinata-hime, for 'she is the best princess any guard could ask to protect'.

"A – Ah, you must be Naruto."

I turned around and was met with pearl eyes gently gazing at me. I was in awe about the princess's beauty and grace, the aura around her so _simple _and so calm. I respectfully bowed and smiled, her doing the same.

"They told me about your battles," she said.

I chuckled and ruffled my hair once more.

"It would be a pleasure if you would join my royal guard, really! It's – it's so dull without my guard, with Tou-san being busy with affairs and my grandmother being as poisonous as she were."

"...What exactly do you plan to do, as ... Hinata-hime?"

She giggled, her voice filling the heavy air with lightheartedness and innocence.

"I wish to make this kingdom a kingdom of peace, where titles and blood didn't matter, much like it had been long ago. I want everyone to live the life they want to live, with no chains."

In her words I found myself awestruck once more.

In her eyes, I found a lost girl, trying to find her way through life, trying to break free from her chains!

And in my heart, I felt a new life unfolding before me.

I bowed before her, like her royal guard would, and laid my sword on the floor at her feet.

"Hinata-hime, I will forever serve you, loyal and true."

-

**­**

-

There was a new life ready for me; new paths ready to be unfolded.

I was sick of the country life, sick of _living with no purpose!_

But perhaps here, perhaps in the castles and firms of the royal Hyuuga family, I could find happiness and completion.

Perhaps here, I could live my _fairytale._

-

****

-

**A/N:**I guess you can call this Part 2 of Fairytale.  
I suppose this is the breaker if I should make it a story or not.  
It would be chapter 2 of the installment, and the story would go through the life of Hinata and Naruto.  
In most fanfics, Hinata's usually the one trying to win the heart of Naruto, but I think it would work better if Naruto were actually the one trying to save Hinata from despair and free her from her chains.

So, let me know what you think!

(And, maybe ... the story summary would be something like:  
They both wished to live in a perfect fairytale, too sick of the harsh realities surrounding them. But can the heart of one, free the heart of another?)

Thanks for reading!


	20. Judgement

-

-

**Intertwined**  
_Judgement_

**Disclaimer:**Don't own Naruto.

-

-

"...Father."

_So alone, so silent, so endless._

Pallid eyes stared at the marble tombstone before them, reading every letter and every world written on the piece of stone, absorbing comfort from the serenity of the day.

Snow was falling that day, gracing the village with unusual cold and beauty. Everywhere, it was ethereal and joyous, the fierce fire of the strong village buried beneath the layers of snow. Children ran around, laughing to their hearts' content, smiling and living and loving like their life was to end the next day.

But he – he was all alone. He had no mother, no father, no sister, no brother. He had bitterness, he had emptiness, he had _loneliness! _He was stuck in the space between light and darkness, suspended with confusion about what to do with his life.

Tears rolled down his frostbitten cheeks, seeming to melt the thin layer of frost accumulating on his pale skin. His bottom lip was bleeding from his tough bite, filling his mouth with the familiar metallic taste. His fists were tightly clenched, trying to ease the pain of loneliness.

And then the boy felt warm hands wiping away his tears, the gentle aura filling him with warmth. He saw a girl standing next to him, a gentle smile present on her lips. Her hair was tied up in two, peculiar buns, her eyes the color of chestnut. She had gentle, flowing motions, like the weight of gravity upon her did not matter, making her seem ethereal. The girl loosened the scarf around her neck, and surprisingly threw the other half around the boy's, standing next to him for warmth.

"I don't need your help," the boy said.

He was surprised when the girl giggled and shrugged, not moving her scarf or her body from her.

"I never asked you if you needed it," came her gentle reply.

His eyes widened, while she merely looked down at the marble stone, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. He found himself angered by her kind nature, angered by the fact that she _dared_ to venture into the Hyuuga's reserved part of the cemetery!

He didn't need her pity, didn't need her help, didn't need her_ warmth!_

Everything that mattered to him was gone.

"Go away. You're not a Hyuuga; you're not allowed here."

She faced him, a glare burning holes into his skin.

"I don't have to listen to you," she icily said.

The boy looked at her with the same icy glare, his lips pursed into his characteristic frown. His eyes were narrowed, too irritated beyond reason and rationality.

"What makes you think I want you here? You'll never understand what it feels like –"

"– To be alone? To have the people you looked up to dead? Yeah, who'll ever understand that, huh?"

The boy's eyes widened in surprise, and he looked away, embarrassed.

"I – I – I'm sorry," he whispered.

The girl smiled and offered him her hand, unfazed by the fact that they had shared their first argument.

"Maybe," she whispered as the boy took her hand, "You shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

-

****

-

"I – I'm so stupid! I can't believe I let this happen to you...oh my _gosh_."

The same girl, now twenty-one years old, brokenly looked down at her partner, now twenty-two years old. The two had shared a long fourteen years together, being placed in the same academy class and the same genin team. Both had grown fond of the other, knowing each other's faults, weaknesses, and joys by heart.

And so it was no surprise when she sat beside him in the hospital, tears rolling from her eyes, as she quietly cried by his bedside, waiting for him to wake up from a deadly coma from a deadly injury just a week before on an S-Ranked mission. She had grown to love the boy with all her heart, grown used to his icily arrogant nature.

"S – shut up..."

She gasped when his weak fingers moved and wiped her tears away, his touch lingering on her skin as he unconsciously held her within the palm of his hand. His eyes opened, adjusting to the new light, strength slowly seeping into him once more.

"I – oh – you're – you're okay!"

He gently sat up on the bed, his hand removing itself from her face as he held his own head in his hands. He was graced with a terrible migraine of too much sleep, his head swirling as the lights and warmth seeped into his body. She smiled and gently hugged him, careful not to touch any of his closed wounds in case they dared to open against the Haruno's strong gauze and amazing medical skills. His migraine seemed to fade away when he cradled the girl in his arms, his life feeling complete.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered into the thin fabric of the hospital gown, "It was all my fault."

He moved gently pulled her away and looked at her in the eye, his lips formed in a tiny, genuine smile.

"Shut up," he gently said, "I think you told me once to 'not judge a book by its cover'."

"I did," she slowly replied, unsure of where the conversation was going.

"I believe you were judging."

The girl's lips formed an 'oh' as realization hit her, and she looked away, a light blush on her cheeks.

-

****

-

"Father."

It was winter once more, the thin blanket of snow falling onto the frozen earth. The boy once again stood before his father's grave, feeling the comfort he had once lost.

Three years had passed since he had fallen into the weeklong coma, worrying his best friend (and love interest) to tears. Both were at the peak of their ANBU career, the leading team for S-Ranked missions until the Sannin (Haruno, Uzumaki, and Uchiha) were able to get back on their feet as the legendary, now reunited, Team Seven, trained and honed their monstrous abilities with each other.

It was different now, different from the first time they met seventeen years ago. It was different because he wasn't bitter, and different because he thrived on the warmth she gave him.

His eyes slightly widened when he felt the warmth of a scarf wrap around his neck, and the same, gentle aura standing next to him. Her lips were formed in a devious smile as she cast him a greeting glance.

"Oops! Sorry! I'm not a Hyuuga, so I must not be allowed here, hmm?"

Her eyes twinkled with amusement when he lightly chuckled, an action only she was graced with seeing and hearing. She smiled when his hand snaked into hers, their fingers intertwined, the link to their salvation.

"I suppose you're allowed here," he mysteriously whispered, "Aren't you?"

Her eyebrow rose with curiosity.

"Does it matter that I love you, or anything, or do I need to –"

" – Marry me? Yes."

Her eyes widened, a light blush present on her cheeks. Tears began to form at her eyes, her heart beating with happiness beyond comprehension.

"I don't need to answer, do I? Because, holy _crap, _my heart is on overdrive."

The tears began to spill when he lifted the scarf from her neck and placed a necklace there, the only charm the golden ring. She smiled; he really knew her too well.

"No, you don't."

They were forehead to forehead now, their eyes deeply gazing at each other, lost in their own universe of bright suns and twinkling stars.

"Hyuuga Tenten. It has a nice ring to it," he whispered.

She laughed and claimed his lips.

"I love you, Neji," she said when they had broken away.

He smiled.

-

****

-

**A/N:**Yeah, I sorta like this one. A lot.  
Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!  
I was craving some NejiTen. (:

Thanks for reading!


	21. Teaser: Moonlight Sonata

_It is hard to understand ..._

_...That there are lines that even I cannot cross._

-

-

**Intertwined**  
_Teaser: Moonlight Sonata_

**Disclaimer:**Don't own Naruto.

-

-

Snow was gently falling that day, blocking the sunlight's warmth and adding the winter's bitter cold in the atmosphere. There was a tiny, frail girl, whose hair was pink like the cherry blossom, her eyes the color of the most beautiful, fluorescent leaves. She sat in fear, in uselessness, in cold loneliness, only watching the world go by her, as the warm clothes around her were not enough to keep the winter chill off her skin.

"What are you doing out here?"

Her eyes widened when she was met with onyx orbs, a fierce, cold breeze passing her by and making her shiver to her bones. She felt the touch that froze her skin, its bitter cold surpassing even the fiercest snowstorms. The girl's reflexes quickly kicked in and she jolted backwards, the only thought in her mind telling her to get away from the cold-blooded creature.

"It is a dangerous place. Are you cold?"

The figure before her stared at her, patience slowly slipping from its beautiful eyes, as it quietly knelt before her to await her answer. The girl continued to stare, almost in utter curiosity, at the figure's beauty.

"Yes."

The figure extended another cold hand, almost expecting her to take it and surge warmth back into its body.

"Then come."

Its hand lay there suspended in the cold air, snow beginning to accumulate on its pale skin. The girl hesitantly took the cold skin in her own, shivering under its freezing touch. The figure smiled and got up, pulling her away from her deserted spot in the snow. The girl took the time to completely look at it, and was surprised.

Before her was a beautiful boy, the same age as she.

But there was something different that even she could not pinpoint.

"What is your name?"

There was an eerie silence, which almost suited the boy's personality, before the girl's coarse voice rang through the air.

"Sakura."

"No last name?"

This time the eerie silence suited the girl as the two children continued walking into the winter abyss.

"I don't remember."

"Aa. I'm Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke."

-

****

-

Sakura's eyes widened when a mansion appeared in the midst of snow, its large walls becoming visible against the snowstorm. Sasuke continued forward, still clutching onto her hand, and Sakura guessed that it was where he lived. They walked in silence, in the bitter cold that shot through the air and into Sakura's body from the boy's touch, until they reached the large, wooden, barred doors.

"Itachi-nii! Open up!"

There was a muffled shuffling heard from behind the door, before the sound of heavy bars screeching against metal were heard. In a few moments a taller man emerged from within the mansion, bearing uncanny resemblance to the little boy before her. His onyx eyes widened at sight at her, and she shivered under his harsh glare.

"Sasuke, who is she?"

"I found her."

There was another harsh gaze thrown her way, before the older man stepped aside and let the two in. His eyebrow rose when he noticed Sasuke's hand removed itself from hers to remove his scarf, a tiny smirk playing on his pale lips.

"What's your name?"

Sakura cowered underneath the coldness she felt emitted from him, almost shivering from the oddness in his eyes, before shaking the feeling off instinctively and standing tall.

"Sakura."

She noted his eyebrow rise with no mention of her last name, but motioned for her to follow soon after. Not finding any other alternatives, she quietly followed behind him, lurking in his shadow in the frozen mansion.

"Itachi-nii! No fair!"

"Ne, Sasuke, if you're slow, you'll lose."

Sakura turned and found Sasuke running towards them, a fierce look of determination present on his beautiful face. She offered a tiny smile, which he shyly returned, but ignored the coldness shooting through her body when he grabbed her tiny hand and held it in his.

"Hmph. You could have said so."

There was coarse chuckling from Itachi, before the creaking of doors cracked the silence. Sasuke pulled Sakura out of Itachi's shadow and to his right side, where the first hints of warmth lingered in the air. Before her Sakura was met with children her age, all causing shivers and an unknown flare to burst through her body. There were three girls, one with two peculiar buns atop her head, one with shimmering blonde hair, and another with short, dark purple hair and pearl eyes. Beside them were three boys, one with pineapple shaped hair, another with spiked blond hair and stunning cerulean eyes, and another with long, dark brown hair and pallid eyes, who closely resembled the girl with the dark purple hair.

"We have a guest."

All of them turned towards her, some glaring at her, while others stared at her with curiosity. It wasn't everyday when there was a guest at their mansion at such random times unannounced. Her body was once again shot with bitter cold and the unknown flare.

"Her name is Sakura."

They all moved towards her to greet her, with suspicious smiles on their faces. Sakura shook all of their hands, bracing herself against the fierce cold emitted from their touch. After they were finished observing her, with an eerie curiosity, they removed themselves from the large hall and went their separate ways.

"They're moving out fast, yeah. They usually don't go until it's after dinner."

All eyes turned towards the blond walking into the hall, hands stuffed in his pockets, while his visible eye looked at Sakura with a twinkling curiosity.

"Well, looks like Sasuke-kun found himself a girlfriend, yeah."

The two children blushed under the uncalled mockery, Sakura silently thanking the new jolt of warmth into her body as Sasuke squeezed her hand.

"No, Deidara! I found her!"

The blond mischievously smiled and shrugged.

"Then she is yours. Hurry along, yeah. Show her around. I'm sure that room next to yours will be put to good use, yeah."

At the command Sasuke took Sakura out of the hall, his perky voice echoing through the hallways and into the large room. Itachi looked to his friend with suspicion, which was immediately returned.

"She looks familiar. There's an inkling about her that I can't quite understand," Itachi said.

Deidara inhaled the air, nearly choking as Sakura's scent went through his nostrils. He quickly rubbed his nose, attempting to get the scent out of his system, the look of irritation and curiosity present in his visible eye.

"Yeah. Does she have a last name?"

"No."

There was silence before the two older men commenced walking out of the large hall, making their way to their rooms, which lay on the top floor.

"Then I suppose we can let her stay awhile," Itachi commented.

Deidara smirked.

"Yeah. Sasuke-kun'll get mad if you just kick her out, yeah."

They coarsely chuckled into the air, continuing their trek to the rooms in comfortable silence. Unbeknownst to them, Sakura shivered as the last echoes of their laughter rang through the air.

-

****

-

**A/N:**I guess you can call that a teaser to a story I was thinking about writing.  
I don't know why I felt like it, but this _is_ an AU. I'm keeping the intention for this secret for now, but feel free to guess! (And no, it does not involve werewolves. But you're on the right track?)

Anywho, if I were to make this a story, there'd be more information instead of this really pointless A/N. XD  
Annyywayy, for some crit:  
1.Would you be interested at all?  
2.Was that too boring of a prologue?

And I guess I should explain why I'm second-thinking adding more to this prologue. Sakura's past is that of a mystery, and it won't be until she's thirteen (in this chapter she is seven), that she'll figure out the huge secret (that you don't know yet!) about Sasuke and the gang. From there the fanfic will jolt into a world of forbidden love, boundaries people can't cross, etc. etc., and at the same time, Sakura's lineage will be revealed.

So please let me know!  
Thanks for reading guys!


	22. the same side

_We're the same!_

_Why can't you ever see that?_

_I'm your rival. Your best friend._

_Why can't you ever accept that?_

-

-

**Intertwined**  
_ the same side_

**Disclaimer:**Don't own Naruto

-

-

We're the same. As much as you'd hate to admit it, we're exactly alike.

Your parents were ruthlessly slaughtered by your brother; your parents were drowned in a pool of their own blood. Your family was washed away by a bloodbath, all because of your brother.

Your brother caused all your pain. Your brother made you who you are today.

You're strong because of revenge. You fight to avenge your family.

You're an avenger. You don't have time for friends, and you're too scared to replace your family.

You're alone. Totally alone. At least, that's what you think.

You have Sakura, Kakashi-sensei, and me. We're not your typical cheerleaders, but we knock you back into reality. Even though Sakura turned fangirl when we were all genin, she really changed; but you're an avenger. We support you, even though you hurt us, plagued us with pain; but you're an avenger.

I despise the excuse to your devolution. Being an avenger just doesn't cut it, at least not anymore. We tried to understand before; we tried to give you your space. But now, _now,_you're standing on the wrong side.

We're exactly the same.

My father gave his life protecting our village. My mother disappeared to who-knows-where. My family didn't depart the same way yours did; but my family is gone, and so is yours.

The village caused me all my pain. I was rejected, shot down, all because of the demon inside of me. But even through all that pain, I became the person that everyone remembers, a person that anyone can trust.

I am strong because of my morals. I fight to protect the people who accepted me; and that includes _you_.

I thought I was alone. I used to think nobody cared. At least, that was until I met you, Sakura, and Kakashi-sensei.

I have you three to keep me going, to remind me that it doesn't matter if the villagers see me as the fox demon; you three taught me that I fight for what I fight for, and that my dreams are never to be given up.

My dream is to be the Hokage, like my father once was. I want to protect my village, even though my own _home_rejected me!

I do not make up any excuses. If I fail, I _fail. _I have no passing excuse to say that, "I'm the fox demon, so it's understandable".

We are supposed to be standing on the same side.

We are exactly the same.

I am your rival and your best friend.

I am exactly what you are _not._

Why won't you choose to see that?

-

****

-

We are supposed to stand on the same side.

We are supposed to be rivals.

We are supposed to be best friends.

But I won't befriend the monster you've become.

-

****

-

**A/N:**So, this randomly just popped into my head.  
And NO, I am NOT going SASUNARU. Ew.  
Brotherhood. Fraternity.  
Catch my drift?

I honestly don't know why it took me so long to realize that connection.  
Hahahhaa.

Anyway, thanks for reading!


	23. Teaser: Loving an Idiot: 411!

"Oh, Hinata-chan! You're fine!"

I looked around me with shifty eyes. The smell of antiseptic was getting too familiar. I cursed and quickly threw myself out of the hospital bed. I must have fainted again.

"Uh – Hinata – where are you going?"

I turned around and was faced with _the _Uzumaki Naruto – you know, the one I've been crushing on for like, _ever. _I felt myself turn redder than a ripe tomato, and before I knew it, I was on the floor again, passed out.

_Damn it, _I have _got_ to stop fainting whenever Naruto was near me.

"Oi! Oi! Hinata!"

I came back to my senses a few moments later. To be once again met with the beautiful – no, _dashing_ – eyes of Naruto.

_DONTFAINTHINATADONTFAINT –_

"Hinata, why do you keep fainting around me?"

I would have fainted again from a concussion (you know, from banging my head on the floor out of irritation), but miraculously, I think God had enough of me fainting for the day. I bit my lip in thought while Naruto kept staring at me.

"Hinata, is there always something on my face? From ramen or something?"

Okay, I seriously fainted again (from banging my head on the floor out of irritation again) because _damn it, _I am in love with a freaking _idiot!_

-

-

**Loving an Idiot: 411!  
Hinata Fact # 1 – **_I may be soft-spoken, but that doesn't mean my thoughts aren't FIERCE!_

**Disclaimer:**Don't own Naruto.

-

-

**Loving an Idiot: Step ONE.**_  
Provide them with apparent (freaking obvious) hints._

****

-

"Hinata, I don't get it. What's so great about him?"

I looked at Sakura skeptically, who, in turn, was looking at me like I was stupid. I've crushed (hell, I've _loved _the guy for the past, what, million years now?) on Naruto for so long that basically the whole village picked it up, except for Naruto himself. And, since Sakura was one of his best friends since childhood, she would be surprised to find someone who actually _loved _the boy for who he was (he was chill and all, but dense. OBLIVIOUS!), though the Haruno _did _love the boy like a brother.

"I – uh – I _don't know!" _

I was ready to pull my hair out. If I had _known why _I was in love with an _idiot,_then I wouldn't be in love with him in the first place! I love him for who he is. I love him a lot. That's all I can say. (Damn it, does that make _me _an idiot, too?!)

"Hinata –"

"_Okay, _Sakura. I think he's really handsome and he's really nice and funny and...I don't really care if he's an idiot. But I wish he'd get all these _hints!_"

"Hinata, he _is_ dense."

I refrained from screaming.

"_I FREAKING KNOW THAT ALREADY!" _

Okay, so maybe I did scream.

****

-

I am so hopeless.

At my ripe age of eighteen, my love life is still nonexistent. It's not even a tiny spec in the universe! But I guess that's my fault. I've turned down every date I've got asked to (who am I to lie to them and my own feelings?), and I've never really thought about giving up my attempts to win over Naruto. But I've also got to thank my _wonderful _Father, who is overprotective times a million, for scaring away potential boyfriends (is Naruto intimidated? I would be).

So, with the summer ending around the corner, and my first days of being a senior at Konoha Leaf Academy, a prestigious private school (that's not really all that 'prestigious'), I've really got to get a move on with my life.

**I will not fail.**

Uzumaki Naruto, by the end of senior year, you _will _be mine!

(And no, I'm not a slut! I'm going to win you over fair and square!)

-

****

-

"What're you doing for the last weeks of summer, Naruto?"

"I dunno. Making every second of having no homework count, I guess."

I inwardly swooned; he grinned! The _trademark _Uzumaki grin!

(God, I am _not _a fangirl! Yeesh!

And yes, I have major issues. I'm working on it.)

"Maybe we can go get ramen together, sometime?"

I smiled when his eyes brightened. Even though it was all horribly reversed (because _guys_ are supposed to ask _girls _out on dates), I still enjoyed every moment of it.

Throughout my life, I've had trouble speaking out. I was too shy, too timid, too _scared_ to speak my mind and let my voice be heard. After meeting my best friends, Haruno Sakura, Tenten, and Yamanaka Ino, I admit I've gotten better at speaking my mind. They all taught me that letting my voice be heard wasn't something to be scared of.

But mostly, ninety percent of my thanks and gratitude has to go to Naruto. The one I _love._

Naruto's had a troubled past, being an orphan and a social reject. But even through that horrible childhood, he had the courage to move on, to speak up! He wasn't scared to tell people what his dreams and ambitions were; even though he _knew _they would shoot them down and call him a failure, he still told them.

He taught me that what _I _want would never be truly what I want unless I let people know.

For him, I try to break out of my shell. Because even if he doesn't realize it, I am completely grateful for the lessons he's taught me. The lessons about life. The lessons that taught me that speaking out was not a bad thing; that people would listen to me if I had a voice to speak!

And for _that, _I truly love him.

Yeah, I'm still eighteen.

Yeah,_love _is a strong word.

But I _mean it. _I really do!

"Yeah, we should."

I smiled again. He really was a prince charming. In his own, very-hard-to-see way. And I guess something happened, so that his hand brushed against mine – so –

"Hinata! Hinata!"

_GOD, WHAT A MOMENT RUINER!_

-

****

-

I find the hospital as my best friend. I'm a frequent returnee.

"Seriously, Hinata, why _do_ you keep fainting around me? Or are you just sick today?"

I had a sudden impulse to scream out, "BECAUSE I FREAKING _LOVE _YOU, IDIOT!", but that died down when I felt his hand on my forehead.

Yep. Out cold. Again.

-

****

-

**Step ONE: **_Provide them with apparent (freaking obvious) hints._  
They'll get it. Eventually.  
Repeat and continue this step until realization pops up and they realize you like/**love** them.

**Step ONE:**  
FAILED AND REPEATING.

-

****

-

**A/N:**Okay, so I said in Chapter 17, that this idea was in my head.  
And, I originally forgot about it, until the old file popped up!  
Not entirely sure if I want to make this a real fanfic, but let me know if you guys want it done.  
C:

Thanks for reading!


End file.
